Through Fearful Night and Hopeful Light
by JFuzzyWraith0587
Summary: There is something amidst in National City. There is a strange creature attacking people and when Kara and the DEO catch wind of the creature and confront it, everyone is surprised by what they find. They must seek help from an unlikely ally if they hope to uncover this creature's true intent. *Takes place during season 2 of Supergirl. Hope you enjoy.*
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes:** **Hey guys it feels great to be back at it and I'm trying something a little new with this story. I hope that you enjoy my take on this universe, and I would just like to say I love each of the CW shows and I can't wait to see BLACK LIGHTENING on the CW as well. Anyways enjoy and I'll catch you all on the flipside.**

 **P.S.** **: Also this takes place 2 weeks before the INVASION crossover event and after a strenous talk with the Green Arrow/ Oliver Queen *don't tell* I officially hereby claim nothing, except my own mental short comings. *tear drop***

 _"_ _My name is Bruce Wayne. I was 10 years old when I saw my parents murdered, gunned down right in front of my eyes. Ever since, I have dedicated my life to protecting the people of Gotham City from the same sort of criminals that took my parents from me._

 _Through intimidation and fear, I have protected the innocent from the unimaginable and the impossible. By day I am merely a man, but at night I am a symbol, one which thrives in the shadows and cannot be broken or corrupted. I am vengence, I am the knight. I. Am. Batman._ _"_

 **Gotham City - 12:48 a.m. 2 weeks ago**

 **Location: Undisclosed**

The weather has gradually worsened in the last 15 minutes changing from a light drizzle to a heavy downpour. Even now, the rain pounds against the streets and leaves no building untouched. Even here on the very outskirts of Gotham City, a lone mansion on a hilltop stands amid this torrental-like storm passing over gotham. The unseen clouds are only made visible when the lightening thrashes out within the clouds themselves, and the sound of thunder quickly follows; crackling both near and far off in the distance. Amid the continous flashes of light, one could make out one of the many rooms held within the mansion.

At first glance, it would appear to be a library of sorts as the walls were covered with shelves and the shelves filled with books of many types of variety. On the southern wall stood a Grandfather clock, one which had been passed down from generation to generation. There was only a single door which led to this room and its handle slowly started to turn until a clicking sound echoed through the silent stricken room. As the door creaked open a man enters the room, carrying a silver serving tray under one arm and walks over to the middle window.

His reflection emerged amidst the streams of rain flowing down and the near blinding lightening sprouting up every few seconds. He sets the tray down on the window seal in front of him and shortly after starts adjusting his tie. The man's attire was well taken care of, as it was in near-pristine condition, from his black suit jacket all the way down to his shining black shoes. His undershirt was as white as pure fallen snow and his vest was a dark grey and together with his silver-peppered hair he looked rather dashing for a man of 57, at least he thought as much.

He stood in front of the window, arms kept behind his back as he stared out into night, where soon his eyes drifted down and to the right, where the garden was located. His eyes widened briefly and his mouth slowly gaped open when he saw the massive water puddle which was drowning the plants.

*mumbles in an English accent* "*lets out a disapproving sigh* I guess we can skip the gardner now can't we?."

Suddenly the watch on his right wrist started chiming, quickly taking his attention away from the flooded garden. He stares at the watch for a few seconds before pressing two small buttons on either side, causing the chiming to stop.

"Well then, time to get back to it then."

Taking a brief moment to adjust his his tie, the man picks up the tray, placing it back under his right arm, turns and walks to the other end of the room, where he stands in front of the grandfather clock. He opens the side-access panel and adjusts the time to 10:48 p.m., after which the moon dial above opens. A single blue laser appears and quickly scans his face vertically and then horizontally. Once that was finished it stated.

*female robot voice* "Authorization Requested."

*English accent* "PENNY-ONE."

"Authorization Accepted."

Seconds later the book shelf to the left slides outward and to the left, revealing an elevator hidden behind it. As the doors open, he steps inside and stood facing forward as the door and bookshelf closed behind him simlutaneously. After a few seconds it stops and the doors in front of him open and he steps out of the elevator onto a walkway.

To his left was a staircase which led to 12 display cases, each one occupied by a unique suit. To his right, a giant robotic T-rex stared at the elevator entrance. A few yards ahead and to the left was a custom motorcycle, which from the way it was built resembles a two wheeled tank. He paused for a moment and stared at the motorcycle, more specifically, the fresh mud which was now dripping, oozing off of the wheels as well as the trail of mud leading out of the cave.

 _*_ Mumbles to himself _* "_ I just cleaned that bloody thing this morning." * _Mentally sighs* How is it that he always finds a way to make my job even more tedious? Must be an acquired skill set._

A fluttering sound from above caught his attention and his gaze as he looked up to see hundreds of barely visible shadows hanging from the ceiling.

 _Ahh, I see our friends are still hanging around. Bat's; as charming as ever._

He quickly turned and made his way down some steps to the center island where an oversized chair sits in front of a giant monitor surrounded by smaller monitors on either side. As he reaches the island he stops and looks over at the console to the left of the chair. He spots a a plate with a half-eaten apple and a small bite-sized piece of steak still leftover. The man walks over to the console and quietly sets the tray down on the console and picks up the plate looking at the leftovers.

*mumbles in a sarcastic tone* "Why do I even bother?"

After placing the plate on the tray he turns to man sitting in the chair; the main is dressed in a black turtle neck, as well as black slacks and onyx black mountain shoes. He was motionless as he sat in the chair, his hand on his chin, staring at a grid map of Gotham City on the screen. He leaves the tray with the plate on the console and walks over to the man, standing next to the chair and watches the screen along with the other man. The man in the seat leans forward, pressing a single key on the keyboard in front of him;

*low growl* "Report in."

A slight crackle sound came from the speakers on the giant monitor, but after a few seconds it clears and a familiar voice came through.

*Middle-aged Male, stern* _"Azrael reporting in. Founder's Island is all clear. No sign of them."_

*Young, playful female voice* _"Spolier here, and why is it that I always get the creepy places?"_

* stern voice* "Spoiler,"

Spoiler: _"Sorry, Amusement Mile is all clear."_

"Wildcat, any sign of them on your end..." *sounds of a struggle* "Wildcat?"

Sounds of a struggle continue and with it the echoing of men shouting, glass shattering and wood breaking.

Wildcat: *older, tired voice* *sounds of people grunting* _"Give me-one"_ *smashing glass* " _-ugh, why you little sh-"_ *sound of someone's head cracking against a wall, followed by silence* *breathing heavily* _"Sorry 'bout that; Iceberg Lounge is clear. No one knows a damn thing."_

*silently sighes* "Nightwing, tell me that you have something."

Nightwing: *young male* _"Sorry boss, none of my usual contacts know anything that we don't already know. Its like these guy's just disappeared; dropped off the map."_

Azrael: _"Perhaps a fellow crusader heard God's call to arms and decided to dispense divine justice unto the flith which plagues the streets of Gotham."_

Wildcat: _"I hate to agree with sir nutso here, but it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Maybe dropping a few of these punks will teach the rest to stay in line."_

"If someone were crossing off criminals they would leave some sort of trail to follow. At the very least we would have heard rumors or found they're bodies, or parts of them."

Spolier: _"Besides that, some of these people aren't exactly easy to take down much less take out. I mean, you'd have to be like, Superman or Supergirl to even stand a chance of taking them down solo."_

Wildcat: _"Oh yeah, tell that to Bats here."_

Batman: *low growl followed by a heavy sigh* "Regardless any evidence is most likely washed away by the storm. Which means we have nothing. For the first time in years the streets are quiet and the storm is just picking up. Time to pack it up and call it a night."

Nightwing: _"Yeah well, despite the weather, I'm gonna keep patrolling, see if there is something that I missed."_

Spoiler: _"I'm not ready to call it a night. Need some backup?"_

Nightwing: _"What the hell, why not. What about you Wildcat?"_

Wildcat: *jokingly* _"Kid, I'm always up for a fight."_

Nightwing: _"What about you Azrael?"_

Azrael: _"As an instrument of God, I shall gladly dispense divine justice and cleanse the streets of of the corrupt and villianous scum."_

Nightwing: _"Uhhh, so that's a yes, right?"_

Azrael: _"...Yes."_

Batman: *smirks a bit* "Fine. But keep in radio contact and let me know if you find anything."

Nightwing: _"Roger that boss."_

The Batman turned off the intercom and lets out a heavy, exhausted sigh as he leans back against the chair, placing two fingers on his right temple.

Batman: *mumbles* "I'm missing something, something important." *looks over at the man standing beside him* "Alfred, how far along is the rendering from the Arkham Asylum and Blackgate?"

Alfred presses a red button to the left of the console in front of them, which in turn causes a small section of the floor behind them to compress down and open up. A holo-table slowly rises from beneath just as Alfred makes his way over to it. Once it was situated, he turns it on and taps the top of the table causing a virtual 3d image of a loading screen to appear.

Alfred: "Its currently at 97% sir. Shouldn't be more than a few more minutes before-"

Alfred turned around only to see the Batman, or Master Bruce as he has known him since the day he was born; standing there, silent, his hand slowly stroking the stubble on his chin.

 _There is something that I'm not seeing. Some clue that is right in front of me. 7 inmates, 4 from Arkham, 3 from Blackgate; taken within minutes of each other and dissappeared without leaving a single trace. It seems impossible, but nothing is ever what it seems, still; all of them were in high security lockup, and yet the perpetrators broke in, disabled the security and got past dozens of guards without even firing a shot. Impressive._

Alfred: *concerning tone* "Master Bruce, is everything alright?"

Bruce looked up as Alfred's words snapped him from his thoughts.

Bruce/Batman: "Its nothing Alfred. Just-"

Before he could finish, a beeping sound came from the holotable and the loading screen changed; the screen now said Rendering complete, which meant that it was time for some detective work.

Bruce: "Nevermind. Pull up the rendering of Blackgate; since it was the first to be hit."

Alfred could tell that Bruce was holding something back and yet he complied without saying a word and started tapping on the keyboard in front of him. The massive waterbed to the right started swishing and suddenly a large platform started rising out of the water in front of them. Bruce walked onto the platform just as 12 metal poles sprouted from the outer rim of said platform. Each one had 5 blue lights which whirled to life and within seconds, Bruce had before him a bright blue, minaturized rendering of not only Blackgate Penitenuary but also of the surrounding island on which it was located.

Bruce: "Alfred, show me the Southeast wall of the compound. That's where they made their escape.

Alfred: "Right away sir

He pressed a few keys on the keyboard and within moments the model slowly turned until the Southeast portion of the model was facing Bruce.

Bruce: "Enlarge. Full scale. Add in realistic features."

Once more his trusted friend and butler types a few keys and within moments the image enlarges to the size of it's actual counter-part. At the same time the model had changed, as layers and layers were added making it into a more realistic version. Every detail could be seen from the way the strands of grass were swaying in the nonexistent wind to the cracks and inditations one the wall of the facility itself.

Alfred: "Well, it looks like Lucius outdid himself once again Master Bruce. I may dare say he deserves a bonus this time around, yeah?"

Bruce looks over and shoots him a smirk.

Bruce: "I'd say making him Head of Wayne Enterprises is bonus enough Alfred."

Bruce took a few steps forward, towards the 500 ft section of wall which was laying on the ground just a few feet from the gaping hole which now covered the Southeastern wall. He first looked at the edging on the wall which layed on the ground, paying extremely close attention to the edging.

Bruce: "The outer wall in made up of 50 inch Carbine-Titanium composite, which has a melting point of 1800 degree's and yet the edging suggests that something cut through it like it was nothing. Something extremely hot."

Alfred: "Well then, perhaps we should as some of the local firebugs if they know anything, yeah. What was that chaps name...the one that tried to burn down city hall just before Christmas eve? Had that Jetpack and went by the name...oh bloody hell what was it he called himself?"

Bruce stood up and walked over to the gaping hole, once again paying close attention to the edging.

Bruce: "Garfield Lynch; the Gotham Gazette called him Firefly."

Alfred: "That's right, yeah...well he did look like a bug when you left him tied up and his equipment squashed on the pavement just outside the GCPD. Perhaps he's putting together a team of like-minded individuals to take you down a peg or two?"

Bruce: "I've considered it at first, but I eventually ruled him out. For one, Lynch had a run in with Clark a few weeks back and has been locked up in Stryker's Island ever since awaiting trial. Plus, his weapon has a burning point of 1200 degrees; it would have taken him 4, maybe 6 hours to cut through that wall. And according to the scans from the drones the wall was melted at 2300 degrees, way more than was needed."

He looked back at the wall laying on the ground then back at the gaping hole;

 _I've seen this before, I know I have, but where?_

For some inesplicable reason, his hand reached up and rested on his right pec, where a particualrly nasty and memorable scar exists. He didn't even realize what he had done, until he look down and saw his hand; that is when it hit him, like a freight train, he knew.

Bruce: "Alfred, did the drones scan the other side of the wall for any abnormalities?

Alfred was unsure of the question, more specifically, he was unsure as to the relevence of it, but regardless he pressed a few keys and within seconds he had his answer.

Alfred: "Yes I do believe they did sir, but why do you-"

Bruce: "Switch controls over to interactive mode, if you will."

Once more Alfred remained silent and did what was asked of him.

Alfred: "The rendering is now interactive sir."

Bruce nods before slowly walking to one side of the wall; he kneels down and places one hand under the corner and slowly begins to lift it up. Once the wall was standing straight up he turned it to face him and Alfred, afterwards he released his grip. Alfreds eye's widened as he stared at the warped sections which distinctly looked like...

Alfred: "My word sir, are those-"

Bruce: "Someone incredibly strong ripped the wall out, after it had been cut through with something ungodly hot."

He didn't even try to hide the disdain in his voice, it was a sound that Alfred heard all too often, but this one was more fierce. Bruce turned and slowly made his way back to Alfred and when he did, there was a cold, frightening aura rushing off of him.

Bruce: *cold, disdained tone* "There were no footprints found outside the walls or inside beside the GCPD forensic team and the inmates themselves. Our perp was able to cut through the a 500 ft section of Carbine-Titanum, free 3 inmate from Blackgate and 4 from Arkham within minutes and dissappear without leaving a single trace."

The brooding man walks over to the main console with Alfred not far behind and after taking a seat he furiously taps the keys on the keyboard.

Alfred: "Sir, I insist that you tell me what's going on, now Master Bruce."

Bruce: "Think about it. Our perp had super-strength, could cut through metal like it was butter, is extremely fast and left no footprints at the crime scene. We're dealing with a Kryptonian Alfred.

Alfred's eyes widen and his mouth gaps open; suddenly his mind flashes back to a night nearly 7 years ago, a night that was burned into his mind. He snapped himself from his thoughts, just long enough to ask.

Alfred: *confused tone* "Sir, you can't be suggesting that Superman or his cousin for that matter had something to do with this, are you?"

Bruce: *keeps typing* "No, but despite the claim that they are the last son and daughter of Krypton, with both know that there is more than one Kryptonian on Earth."

Alfred: *shocked tone* "My word. But, what would a Kryptonian want with a bunch of criminals, sociopaths and pyschopaths from your rogues gallery?"

Before Bruce could answer the monitor in front started beeping as a screen appears before him, one that shows a real-time map of the Earth, one that quickly zooms in on the United States.

Alfred: "Sir is that what I think it is?"

Bruce: "Nanite Tracer signal. They must have finally metabolised. With this I'll at least be able to track one of them and maybe through him, learn where the others are hiding."

The map on the screen is quickly narrowing the tracer signal down to a city street.

Alfred: "Bravo Master Bruce, you have once again outdone yourself." *looks confusingly at the map on the monitor* "I don't recognize the area, or the street."

Bruce: "That's because he's not in Gotham."

Alfred: *mildly shocked tone* "But, if he's not in Gotham then where is he?"

 **Last Thoughts:** **Hey ladies and gents I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know that it's a little shorter that what I usually put out but I have another story that I'm also currently working on at the same time and so...yeah my problem I know. Also I wanted to let you guys know that the Odd chapters (1,3,5 etc.) are going to be from the Dark Knight's point of view and the even (2,4,6 blah, blah) are going to be from the Girl of Steels point of view. Just so there's no confusion, I got this idea from reading** palmtreedragons **and his own CW fanfic** Shades of Gray **.**

 **So I would like to thank him for the idea and hopefully it works out if not I'll go back to the way I was writing on previous fanfics. Thanks again and stay tuned for future updates. THX**


	2. Before the Broken

**Author's Note:** **Hey ladies and gents, now I wanted to let you know that where this chapter ends is where the episode 2.12 "Luthors" begins. And before you read I would just like to thanks all of you once again for reading or even glancing at my stories, I do really appreciate it. Now enjoy.**

 **Side-Note:** **J'onn and Kara are still pissed at me for eating the last of the of the jelly-filled donuts and have forbade me from stepping foot on earth 38. So therefore I own nothing. *teardrop***

 **National City- 8:43 a.m. Present**

 **Location: CatCo**

National City is perhaps one of the more beautiful and brighter cities among the so-called "Gem Cities". Even with the partial overcast, the city itself was bright, breathtaking as the city starts to stir to life. Between the skyscrapers, offices and other such buildings; there is a sense of traditional and modern feel merged together to make something completly wonderful, making it truly a sight to behold.

The streets themselves were starting to fill up, with people, some eager to start their day while others are just getting off of work. Seconds pass before beams from the sun start to break through the clouds; one such beam shines through an open window on an apartment building. This particular apartment belongs to Kara Danvers, who sits on the sill of the open window, basking in the warmth of sun's ray as she watched the city stir to life on this Monday morning.

To most she is a reporter at CatCo WorldWide, but to those few that she trusts, she is Kara Zor-El the last daughter of Krypton and to the city that she protects she is known as Supergirl. Despite the events and revelations of the last few days, she was eager to get dressed and start her morning. She headed to work, deciding to walk instead of taking a cab or the usual bus; along the route was a newstand where a certain magazine caught her eye.

She stared at the issue of CatCo, or more specifically at the clear as day picture of National City's newest hero, or in her mind vigilante, the Guardian. As she stared at the picture, she thought back to when she found out the James Olsen, her friend and someone she trusted with her secret, and the fact that he is The Guardian. But the shocking revelations kept coming when she learned that not only did he drag Winn willingly into his crusade, but that Alex knew about it and didn't tell her.

Her eyes sweept up to the title plastered just above the picture: "National City's New Guardian!" Needless to say she was less than thrilled, not about the article itself, though it didn't help her mood any, but at the fact that hated how James and Winn were needlessly putting themselves in harms way. She continued on her way to work, trying her best to forget the whole thing, but it had been days since she had spoken or even hung out with James or Winn. And with Alex spending most of her time with her girlfriend Maggie she spent most nights flying around the city or staying home binge watching Netflix.

There was also the matter of Mon-El confessing his feelings to Kara and how she shot him down dispite how she really felt for him. That too was now complicated, which only made the day feel even more encumbersome even as she strode into the CatCo lobby and over to the elevators. She tries to focus, to push all those feelings and thoughts back so that she could concentrate on her work. She barely stepped off the elevator when she heard...

Snapper Carr: "Danvers, you're late."

Kara: "Umm well yes, but I-"

Snapper: "Don't care. Bullpen, now."

 _He seems less...grumpy today._

Snapper: *raises voice* "DANVERS!"

 _Or not..._

Kara quickly followed behind Snapper as they entered what he so lovably called "The Bullpen". Once inside she quickly opens her purse and retrieves her note pad and a pen. When she looks up, she is surprised to see James Olsen standing off to the side of Snapper's desk. He spotted her immediately when she walked through the door; they meet each other's gaze for only a brief second before they looked away.

Seconds later, the rest of the CatCo reporters started shuffling in and once the last one entered, Snapper started.

Snapper: *mixture of sarcasim and disdain* "Now that the last of the stranglers are here we can get started. First off, assignments..."

Snapper grabbed a handful of papers and started handing them out to specific people; once they were handed out he gave a brief summary about each assignment. Kara had barely glanced at her paper when Snapper barked out the details of her assignment...

Snapper: *disdained tone* "Danvers, according to a source there was some sort of creature seen roaming around the port. I want you to follow up, think you can handle it?"

Kara: "Yessir chief."

Snapper: *less than enthusatic tone* "Fan-tastic. Alright, listen up because I'm only going to say this once."

The room fell silent, so much that even the very human James could hear a needle drop. Snapper sat on the edge of his desk, reached around and pulled out the latest issue of CatCo, the one with the Guardian's picture plaster on the front cover. Kara tried her best to keep her composure and hold back the contempt that was building in the pit of her stomach. Meanwhile James glanced over at Kara, who refused to meet his gaze and instead looked down at the floor momentarily, before returning her gaze to the magazine.

Then, from behind the magazine, he slides out yet another albeit older magazine; the difference between the two was that the older version, had Supergirl on the cover.

Snapper: "Bonus assignment. Anyone who can get these two, in a room, on the record..." *combines the magazines together. sarcastic tone* "Will earn a very special place in my heart and...will have their article on the front page. I don't want no 'Puff piece', understood. I want the good stuff; what does Supergirl think about National City's newest hero, is he just a trend or will he be sticking around?...Does she trust him? Does he trust her? Are they partners?"

Kara couldn't help but scoff at that last bit and of course it earned her curious stares from everyone in the room, including Snapper Carr and James.

Snapper: *drops his head a bit, eyes peeking over the rim of his glasses. annoyed tone* "Is there something that you would like to add Ms. Danvers?"

Kara: *shakes her head* "Its just that, Supergirl has been handling things pretty well on her own and...I think that this Guardian is just out there looking for trouble.

James: *clears his throat* "Some people would say that he's out there trying to make a difference, just like Supergirl."

Kara: *fires back* "Yeah well, I'm pretty sure that-"

Snapper slams the magazines down beside him on the desk, which in turn stops both James and Kara dead in their tracks. Their gaze met his stare, one that all but shouted his annoyance at the two of them. He slowly stood up, his glare slowing changing from Kara to James and back again.

Snapper: "This is not group therapy, so hash out whatever crap that is going on between you two on your own time."

Kara and James caved, deciding that it was best to discuss the problems between them in private.

Snapper: "Alright then," *glances back at the other reporters in room who are looking at them dumbfounded. Raised voice* "Well, what're still standing around here for? Get out there and get me my stories!"

And just like that the meeting was over and everyone was dismissed to go about completing their assignments. Kara shuffled out of 'The Bullpen' quickly, more so than the others. She knew that if she stayed then things would have escalated quickly; the usual disagreement aside, she still had an assignment to do, a story that needed written. She stopped by her desk briefly to grab her credentials and press pass, when James walked over.

James: *soft, yet stern tone* "Kara, we need to talk."

Kara: *disregarding tone* "I don't think that there is anything left for us to talk about."

James: *simply stern tone* "Then just listen."

She stopped shuffling through some loose papers and flung the strap of her purse over her shoulder, before turning to look James in the eyes.

James: "Look I know that you're still upset about the whole Guardian thing, but..." *glances back over at the Bullpen then back at Kara* "You let your emotions get the better of you in there."

Kara: *scoffs, shaking her head slightly "My emotions...I..."

Kara tried to find someway, some words to string together to try and express what she needed, wanted to say, but they escaped her. Instead she took a breath and a moment to collect hersef before continueing.

Kara: "I'll admit that...Maybe, my comments were driven by...personal reasons. But that doesn't matter, not when you're charging off at night like some...nut-job vigilante from Gotham CIty."

James: *insulted tone* "Are you honestly comparing me to-"

Kara: *interupts* "Its dangerous out there James, especially with Cadmus still lurking under whatever rock that they've crawled under. I can't protect you all the time."

James: *scoffs* "I'm not asking you too. I can handle myself Kara."

Kara: "Against jewel thieves and drug trafficers yes, but against Cadmus, or Meta-Humans like LiveWire?" *whispers* "Your human James and these threats that are way beyond what you can handle."

James: *scoffs once more and states adamantly* "You don't need powers to be a hero Kara; all you need is the right motivation and the desire to get things done. Besides there are plenty of other heroes out there who have no powers and they go up against threats like Cadmus and Livewire everyday. Hell, you even told me of a few when you visited Earth 1 to help Barry stop the Dominators."

Kara: *fires back* "But they have years of training and you-"

James: *interrupts her* "Kara, I might not have the training that Barry, or even Alex has, but this...what I'm doing. It makes me happy and whether its dangerous or not I'm not gonna stop."

Kara could see that her concerns were falling on deaf ears and so she looked away, out of fear that if she continued to push the subject, that she might say something that she would regret. Instead, she grabbed her press pass and credentials, placing them in her purse with her notepad and pen before looking at him once more.

Kara: *sincere tone* "I know you won't James, but I cannot support you, not when you could get hurt or worse...I can't. I'm sorry." *she closes her purse, adjust the strap* "I have to go."

The tension between them had been building for weeks and had reached its penultimate conclusion. Kara passed by James and headed toward the elevator and as she stood there, waiting she knew that neither of them would budge on the subject. She felt that James was being stubborn, but then again James felt the same way about her. James stood there for a minute, watching as she got onto the elevator and the elevator doors close behind her.

A small part of him knew that she was right, that he wasn't actually trained or prepared to fight aliens and other likewise threats; not like Kara, or Alex, or J'onn, even Mon-El had him at a disadvantage. Once he was back in his office, well the office that he's keeping occupied until Cat Grant decides to return; he sat down in his chair and took a moment for himself, to think about whether Kara was right, or he was.

That's when he remembered...remembered back before he came to National City, even before he left Metropolis. The words were simple and yet, it was what inspired him to become the Guardian in the first place. Those same words only strengthened his resolve even more, as a slow smile crept on his face.

 _"You don't need superpowers to be a hero or make a difference. All that is needed, is the desire to see justice done, no matter the cost. That and the right motivation. you can become a symbol, one that people can believe in, can pour all their hopes and faith in, and be rewarded for it. Uncorruptible. Everlasting."_

 **A few hours later**

Kara was beyond exhausted, at least mentally in regards to her assignment. She spent most of the morning interviewing dock worker's down at the shipping yard only to end up with little more than unfounded rumors and speculations. But after some futher investigating, she found out that a few shipping containers were broken into the same night of the supposed creature sighting.

There wasn't much information on the containers themselves, or the contents held inside, mainly due to the fact there seemed to be no record of these containers even being in the port. The logs for that night had gone missing during the attack and the security cameras were offline at the time as well. When she spoke to the shift manager about this, he stated that the reports for said containers were apparently never turned in.

Her investigation got even more curious when she found out about the 3 security guards working that night were at National City Memorial still recuperating from injuries sustained the night before. That would be her next stop.

 **National City Memorial**

Normally, Kara would keep up the act that she was human, even if it meant taking an Uber to where ever she needed to go. But given the situation, Kara decided to fly to the hospital, making sure to land in an empty alley. When she got to the nurses station she met with two of the security guards, both of which had minor injuries and were about to be released. Unfortunately they had little information about what happened, stating that they were attacked from behind and therefore made it impossible to I.D. the so called creature.

When she asked about the third security guard, the other two shared a look that she could only described as shocked or horrified. They simply directed her towards the I.C.U. stating that he was still recovering from the night's attack. Before she left the room, the two warned her that she wouldn't like what she was about to see.

 **Intensive Care Unit**

 **Kara**

The reporter had no idea what to expect when she started down the hall towards the ICU; all she could do hope for the best and prepare herself for the worst as she approached the nurses' station.

Kara: *kind tone* "Hi, I'm here to a see mister...um..." [fumbles through her purse looking for her notepad. After finding it, she flips through a few pages until she find the name.] "Jerome Thompkins."

Nurse: *curious tone* "You're a reporter?"

Kara: *nods* "Um yes...yes I am, for Catco Worl-"

Nurse: *stern tone* "No reporters allowed, sorry."

Kara: *flustered* "Yes well I know but I-"

Nurse: *irritated tone as she spoke slowly* "No. Reporters. Allowed."

 _Deep breaths, just take deep breaths._ [inhales deeply]

Suddenly a familiar voice from behind her called out.

Unknown voice: *curious tone* "Kara?"

When Kara turned and looked behind her, she seemed both pleasantly surprised and shocked to seeing the young female detective walking towards her.

Kara: *surprised tone* "Maggie? Hey, hi."

Maggie: *flashes a brief smile* "Always nice to see a Danvers."

Kara: *flashes a smile* "Yes well thank you. So what are you doing here-that is if you don't mind me asking?"

Maggie: "I'm here to get some eyewitness statements, you?"

Kara: "Well, Snapper put me on this assignment about some creature seen at the shipping yard and I was hoping to get a statement from one of the guards who was working that night, a-"

Maggie: "Jerome Thompkins, right?"

Kara: *flustered* "Yes, yeah...how did you know?"

It took Kara's currently flustered mind to catch up and figure out the answer which was basically standing there staring her in the face.

 _Oh, crap...All these powers and I'm still completely oblivious sometimes. She must be investigating what happened down at the shipping yard. Duh Kara._

Maggie: *looks over at the nurse. Authoritarian tone* "She's with me." *turns back to Kara and jerks her slightly to the left* "Follow me Kara."

They walked for only a few seconds, but the eerie silence which filled the space between them made it seem like they were walking for days. Finally, the detective stops and turns to Kara, who does the same.

Maggie: *concerning tone* "I've gotta warn you, its not a pretty sight."

 _She is the third person to say that; what is it that people are concerned for me to see?_

Kara watched as Maggie nodded towards the window behind her. She turned around, slowly walking over to it and when she got to the observation window; her hand raised to her mouth, trying to muffle the words which followed.

Kara: *shocked tone* "By Rao..."

She had never, ever seen anything like this before; it was a sight that made her shudder unexpectedly and made her throat felt dry, making it even more difficult for her to find something, anything to say. But, as Kara searched her mind for a word that could even begin to describe what she was witnessing. She found none, because no words seemed to suffice, or could even begin to express the gravity of the horrific sight that was Mr. Thompkins lying in the hospital bed.

Maggie: [sympathetic tone] "Its pretty gruesome, I know." [walks up to the window and stands next to her.] "The doctors put him on a ventilator because both of his lungs have collasped; without it..."

The detective couldn't find the strength to finish her sentence, not while staring at the poor broken soul in that room, fighting for his life. A chill went down Kara's spine and continued to course through her entire body. As a Kryptonian, she barely felt hot or cold, but the chill which rushed through her caused her to shiver.

Kara: [staring intently at Maggie. A shiver in her voice.] "What happened...who attacked him and the other guards?"

Maggie: "I honestly don't know. The other two guards who were working that night were hit from behind, which means that they saw nothing; plus the camera's at the shipyard were either disabled or destroyed entirely. There's not much to go on."

Kara: [turns, looking at Mr. Thompkins] "What about..." [her voice breaks before she could even say his name.] "Has he said anything, about what happened or what did this to him?" [looks over at the detective]

Maggie: [looks down at her feet before subtly shaking her head and shooting her a harden gaze through the window.] "He wasn't even concious when the medics brought him in. And he's been in a coma ever since; even if he was awake he wouldn't be able to talk."

When the detective looks over at Kara she sees the faintest hint of confusion among the horrifying expression plastered on her face.

Maggie: "His jaw is broken. His entire body is broken."

Kara: *clears throat* "By Rao-what else did the doctor's say?"

Maggies: *sighs heavily* "His right arm is broken in 3 different places, his left shoulder has been dislocated, he has a cracked cranium, contusions on his knuckles from hitting something really hard. Besides the bruises and swelling that are covering his face...his spine was nearly broken in half...the doctor's are amazed that he's stayed alive this long."

[Looks back into the hospital room] _What kind of monster could do this to someone?_

Kara quickly snapped from her thoughts as a medical staff of 5 walked into the room. They slowly lower his left leg down on the bed and moved some equipment out of the way as 3 of the 4 nurses slowly wheel the broken man out of the hospital room. As the medical team made their way out, Kara managed to catch the last nurse out.

Kara: *questioning tone* "Excuse me, but what's going on; where are you taking him?"

Nurse: "We're taking him to surgery ma'am; the third one today to keep the cranial swelling down. Doctors are also trying to drain some of the spinal fluid that has built up around the spine itself." [looks behind her then returns her gaze to the reporter] "If you'll excuse me..."

There were no words that she could find that would some how express her sympathies or sorrows. She wanted to know more, but she also knew that the nurse had a job to do. After giving a simple nod, she watched as the nurse rushed down the hall to catch up to the group, whom had just turned the corner. Once again, almost out of some sort of inert reflex, the tips of her fingers gently touch her lips.

Kara: *mumbles* "Rao help him..."

She could feel someone's hand on her shoulder and wasn't surprised at all when she saw that it was Maggie. After a few seconds the detective removed her hand.

Maggie: "Kara," [glances around cautiously, making sure no nurses were within earshot then whispers] "Maybe Supergirl could look into this, yeah?"

Kara: *determined tone* "You can count on it."

It was a few seconds of silence before Kara or Maggie realized that the TV in the hospital room was still on, and turned to the local news station. It was showing media coverage of the trial of Lillian Luthor. Both Kara and Maggie walked into the room, with the latter taking a few extra steps towards the TV to turn it up.

" _This is Channel 2 News, where we are bringing you up-to-date news on the what is perhaps the story that everyone is talking about. The trial of Lillian Luthor, the mother of the infamous Lex Luthor and L-Corp CEO, Lena Luthor. Lillian Luthor stands trial today for a laundry lists of heinous acts including unleashing a bio-weapon, one that reports claim was meant to eradicate aliens living here in National City._

 _Now just a few minutes ago, we got confirmation that Lena Luthor herself will take the stand as a witness for the prosecution against Lillian Luthor. Many are speculating as to what this could mean for the defense..."_

Maggie turns off the TV and when she turns around she sees Kara standing there, hand on her forehead letting out a knowing sigh.

 _I completely forgot about the...with everything that's been going on I just...Poor Lena_

Maggie: "Go."

A befuddled Kara looks over at the detective, only to see her giving a reassuring look and a sincere smile.

Maggie: "She'll need someone there for support; you should be there."

Kara: *fumbles* "I can't-I-can't just leave,"

Maggie: "Its fine. If I find anything I'll let you know tonight at the bar. You are still coming to that right? It would mean a lot to Alex if you were there."

Kara: *nods, shyly smiles* "Yes of course and...Thank you."

 **Later that Night**

At the courthouse Kara was there to support her friend Lena, who was put through a grueling 2 hours of testimony and cross-examination. Once it was all said and done, Lena's testimony against her mother was pretty damning, but it left most to wonder what exactly her intentions were. Everyone had an opinion on the Luthor's, most of which mounted up to being cold, heartless and self-serving; Kara knew better, she knew the kind of woman that Lena was and she was nothing like her brother or her mother.

When the two arrived at L-Corp moments after the trial, Kara offered to stay, just in case Lena needed someone to talk out her problems. Lena reassured the intrepid reporter, the closest person to a friend that she has, that she was fine and insisted that Kara had other obligations to attend to, but she did appreciate the gesture. Kara didn't feel right leaving Lena by herself, but she did have other obligations; on the way to the bar she made herself promise to stop by on the way home to see how Lena was doing.

Kara arrived at the bar a little before 8, just as it was starting to stir alive with customers. She knew that J'onn would be there around 8:30; it would be the first time that he had stepped foot in there since M'gann left for Mars. He tried not to show it, but Kara knew that he was saddened by her departure. James and Winn would be here soon, barring any vigilante activities. Alex and Maggie would show up sometime later and announce to everyone that they were dating.

It was going to be nerve-racking for Alex, who had kept that side of herself hidden from the others. On top of all of that there was the complication with Mon-El. Kara had tried to tell herself that it wasn't possible to be Supergirl and have a relationship, that she had to choose one or the other. It was a decision that she already made once with James, but now part of her started to wonder if she could have both.

It didn't matter anyways, not when Mon-El was still dating Tessmacher much to Kara's surprise. She walked over to a table with 2 chairs on both sides and placed her jacket and purse in one of the seats. Afterwards she walked over to the bartender who currently had his back to her.

 **Kara**

"Excuse me, can I get a-"

Before she could say another word the bartender turns around and places a filled glass in front of her.

Bartender: *gives a small smile* "Club soda, on the rocks."

Kara seemed taken back by how the bartender seemed to know exactly what she was about to order. Cautiously she picked up the glass, taking only a sip of the contents. Her eyes widened in surprise.

*curious tone* "How did you know? Did you...did you read my mind?"

The bartender couldn't help but chuckle at her question, and shot her a sly grin.

Bartender: "No ma'am. I'm just really good at reading people that's all."

*suspicious tone* "Is that so.?"

The bartender simply nodded as he started cleaning the counter in front of them. After some back and forth, they started to strike up a conversation.

*curious tone* "So where are you from...orginally?"

Bartender: *leans on the counter, sporting a grin* "Gotham City."

*surprised tone* "Really? Wow...I never would have guessed."

Bartender: *jokingly* "Yeah well, not everyone in Gotham runs around dressed in spandex."

Kara: *chuckles a bit, nearly spilling her club soda* "Yeah well, I'm sure that you wouldn't look bad in spandex."

 _Oh Rao, did I really just say that?_

The bartender flashed her a smile, followed by a slight chuckle as he replied.

Bartender: "Thanks, I think. I'm sorry I never did catch your name?"

Kara: "Oh yeah, duh...its Kara...Kara Danvers." *holds her hand out*

Bartender: *gently takes her hand and the two shake.* "Well, Kara Danvers, its been a pleasure but...I have somewhere that I have to be."

The man releases her hand and grabs his coat from underneath the counter. He starts to put it on and head towards the door when Kara called out.

"I never got your name?"

The man stopped just shy of opening the door and turned around.

Bartender: "Its Bruce."

 **Last thoughts:** **Now I forgot to put in that Bruce leaves the bar and on the way out he greets Mon-El and from there is where "Luthors" picks up immediately after. Now I know that these last two chapters are kind of lagging behind action-wise, but I'm trying to build a sturdy foundation for the story rather than just pushing out half-assed chapters. But, I promise that it will start to pick up hopefully in the next chapter. Again thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy because I really like writing these types of stories, especially for fans of either the show or the comics. Let me know what you think. Leave a comment, message, any and all critic's are welcome and I'll catch you all in the next chapter. L8r.**


	3. From the Corner of Her Eye

**Author's note:** **Hey guys what's going on. First off this takes place shortly after episode 2.13 "Mr. & Mrs. Mxyzptlk" (and by shortly after I mean like five minutes.) From here I'll probably deviate from the actual show seeing as how its difficult to put out chapters which go hand and hand with my story concept and the show as well. **

**Now to address some of the questions that have been asked. This is not a Bale, Keaton, or Affleck Batman, but my own version instead. In this version Batman/Bruce is for all intents and purposes in his early 30's; mainly because from what people have told me Kara looks physically about 24 years old and. As for what the creature at the docks is, you'll have to stay tuned.**

 **Now the reason that Bruce isn't recognized is because on Earth 38 (The Earth where Supergirl takes place) Bruce Wayne is more of a recluse and is very rarely seen outside of charity events and corporate meetings. And last, but certainly not least, the question of whether this is a Kara/Bruce pairing...I kinda wanna see how the whole Kara/Mon-El thing plays out and so for the sake of this story they're still together and Bruce is more like a friend, but I won't rule out a possible pairing in the future.**

 **Other than that I'll provide more information at the end of this chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

 **Side Note:** **Kara has yet to call me back when I drunk texted her my "Dick Pic" so officially I own NOTHING...I know, sad right.**

 **National City Shipping Yard**

After what happened at the shipyard a few days ago, the top brass at the NCPD and city hall wanted to take every precaution they could to assure the safety of the workers. That is why this veteran officer is standing out in the cold, under the only street lamp that lit the entrance. He looked down at his watch, which showed that it was a quarter to 9 p.m. The officer, black, mid to late 30's, leans against the security booth, cupping his hands around his mouth and blowing warm breath onto his hands.

The past 3 nights have been ungodly cold, he thought and even worse was the fact that this was his 4th night in a row working the late shift. His wife certainly wasn't happy about it, she was especially concerned about another incident happening down at the docks, more specifically she was worried that he would get hurt or worse. It was the risk sure, it came job description and the officer took every precaution to make sure that he made it home every time.

The last few nights he has had to check every vehicle and every truck that came in and out of the ship yard; on occasion he even went as far as checking the contents of the containers that left the yard. It was tedious, but necessary part of the job, plus it kept him occupied during the long shift. It had been nearly 3 hours since the last vehicle left the yard, when suddenly a black car slowly drives up to the entrance. Curious, the officer grabs the flashlight from his belt and clicks it on before slowly and cautiously making his way over to the car. As he shines the light on the windshield, his left hand is subtly drifting to his side, resting on his holstered gun.

Officer: *stern yet calm tone* "This area is for authorized personel only. I'm gonna need to see some I.D."

The driver's side window lowered, and seconds later the driver holds out a badge. The officer shines the light on the badge as he neared the vehicle; he recognized it and the driver as NCPD, a detective to be more precise.

Officer: *clicks off the flashlight. Flashes a smile* "Detective Sawyer, fancy seeing you here so late."

Maggie Sawyer: *flashes a smiliar smile* "Nice to see you too Carlson. I see that they put you on guard duty again huh?" *she says rhetorically*

Officer Carlson: *leans on the drivers side. Jokingly states* "Yeah and the wife isn't to happy about it. But you know how it is." *She gives a subtle nod and a smile* *he sports a grin* "So, I guess you're here to check out the crime scene again, huh detective?"

Maggie: *clicks her tongue and nods. Jokingly states* "See, we'll make a detective out of you yet Carlson. Yeah I just wanted to check something out real quick."

Officer Carlson: *nods* "Not a problem," *walks over to the booth, grabs a clipboard with a sheet clipped on it and walks back over to the car* "Just need you to sign in ma'am."

The detective takes the clipboard and signs her name on the time sheet, after which she hands it back to the officer, who gives it a quick once over before turning his attention back to Detective Sawyer.

Officer Carlson: *grins* "Much appreciated detective."

Maggie: *flashes a smile* "Not a problem...oh and before I forget,"

Maggie reaches over to the passenger seat where a coffee holder sits with three full cups with lids. She grabs the one fartherest away and holds it out for the officer.

Maggie: "3 sugars, 1 cream and a hint of cinnamin,"

Officer Carlson slides the clipboard under his right arm and gratiously takes the coffee with his left hand. He pops the plastic lid open and takes a whif of the cinniamin flavored steam. A gushing smile crosses his face as he closes the lid.

Officer Carlson: "Maggie, you're the best."

Maggie: *flashes a grin. Sarcastic tone* "I know."

The two share a nod, afterwards Officer Carlson raised the blocker and waved through the Detective. He watched as the car slowly drove down the road and off to the left, disappearing behind a row of containers. Seconds later he closes the blocker and walks over to the booth, where he pops the lid open once more, blowing slightly on the fresh steaming hot coffee in his hand. After a few seconds he slowly sips the warm cinniamin flavored beverage.

While the officer enjoyes his beverage, a shadowy figure glides from a nearby building and behind some containers behind the officer. The sound of fabric flapping in the wind caught the officers' attention, but when he turned around, all he saw was the bright full moon. The shadowy figure fluidly and silently makes his way through the maze of shipping containers that riddled the yard; avoiding detection from the handful of workers roaming the yard.

He makes it to the main office building in just under 30 seconds, where he gains access via a nearby grate. Once inside he used a series of ventilation systems to avoid the wandering workers and security who were walking the halls. Less than a minute later he finds the security office; inside the female Detective stood over a man sitting in front of a computer screen going through some video files.

Maggie: *annoyed tone* "So, what you're telling me is that there is nothing here that can help us find whoever attacked this place?"

CSI Tech: *unsure tone* "Sort of..."

Maggie: "What do you mean sort of?"

CSI Tech: "I wasn't able to recover anything from the destroyed camera's, which was expected. But, the camera that was left intact, the ones surrounding the container? There's something off about it..."

Maggie: *confused tone* "What do you mean?"

CSI Tech: "There's some kind of interference, I don't know what it is. Yet."

The figure watched as the Detective stood there for a moment, finger placed on her lips as she thought about this new piece of evidence. After a second she reaches into her leather jacket and pulls out a USB drive and hands it to the tech.

Maggie: "Here, download the files onto this drive, I have a mutual friend who might be able to figure it out."

The tech nodded as he took the drive and placed it into the side of the computer. It took a few minutes for the video files to download, but once it was finished the Detective thanked the tech and asked him to keep working on the video files, which he did. The Detective left the security office and the second after the door closed shut, the figure silently popped open the ventilation grate and dropped down without making a sound. Slowly, he approached the tech who was yawning and stretching his arms out.

 _Apply the right amount of pressure, in just the right spot on the neck and he's out._

His hand quickly gripped the back of the man's neck, applying pressure at a single point and before the man even knew what hit him, he was out. The figure slowly lowered the man's head back against the chair and gently pushed them both off to the side. The figure reached over to his guantlet and pulled out a USB cord, plugging it into the side of the computer. A milisecond later and a window popped up on the computer screen, one with the word "Downloading" and a loading bar just below it.

 _30 more seconds and I'll have all their video files. I'll analyze the footage back at base. Now, I need to get to the crime scene; see if there's any evidence that the NCPD might have overlooked._

In a flash, the download was complete and he quickly removed the USB cord from the side of the computer. After retracting the cord, he quickly walked over and leapt back into the ventilation system; once inside he quietly closed the grate and made his way back outside just as quickly as if he wasn't even there. Once outside, he stuck to the shadows as he made his way over to the crime scene. With a fluid-like motion he made his way to the top of a container, where he had a good vantage point over the entire area. He watched for a few minutes, scanning for incoming patrols when he sees a familiar car pull up.

The driver shut off the car, but left the high-beams on, which helped highlight the crime scene and the police tape that surrounded the area. The man hidden in the shadows watched as the familiar Detective exits the vehicle, with a cardboard tray with two cups of coffee in hand. She places the tray on the hood of the car and grabs one of the cups before ducking under the crime scene tape. His gaze turned from her and towards the container that she was moving towards. He took note of how crushed the container looked, almost as if it had been dropped from a plane at 5,000 feet.

He continued watching the Detective as she knelt down at a crime scene marker; after a few moments she moves on to another marker, then another until she was finally at the container itself. She took a sip of her coffee as she stared at the crumpled door; the Detective looked at both doors and couldn't help but compare the crumpled doors to a Lays ripple potato chip. With her mind temporarily distracted, the man decided to make his move; leaping off the container and gliding down to the ground, pass the crime scene tape and just few feet from the Detective.

The sound of fabric flapping in the night air snapped her out of her thoughts and back to reality, where her instincts took over. Her muscles tighten, her pulse raced as the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Her actions were precise as she slowly she knelt down, and placed her cup on the ground, before turning around and drawing her glock, aiming it at the mysterious man.

 **Maggie Sawyer**

Maggie: *gasps* "JEEZ.." *exasapperated tone* "You know, I really hate it when you do that!" [She takes a moment to collect herself and her composure while holstering her weapon and picking up her coffee]

Batman: *growly tone* "Good to see you too Detective."

Maggie: *heavy sigh* "Yeah, I bet," [She takes a sip of her coffee before continuing.] "Next, give a girl a heads up will ya.?"

 _Every damn time...*sighs* Someone should put a bell around his neck or something. I don't know how Gordon can deal with that whole, appearing and disappearing act._

Maggie: *rhetorically states* "So I'm guessing that Gotham's Caped Crusader isn't here in National City visiting little 'ol me." *glances back at the container, then back at the caped figure* "This one of your's?"

[Batman stood there, his cape draped over his frame, keeping his suit hidden, out of sight. A few seconds later he started walking, past the Detective.]

Batman: *stern tone* "What have you found?"

 _He's changed. Not just his look, although I am digging the new cowl. His tone is...there's something there..._

Maggie: [She turns and follows the Dark Knight as he made his way over to the container.] *curious tone* "There's something different about you,"

Batman: [He stops at the entrance of the container and turns his head slightly to the side; peeking at the Detective through his glazed lens.] "How so?"

Maggie: [She walks up behind him, just a few feet from his back.] "Well, besides the new look...I don't know, you just seem...different."

Batman: [He turned his head away from the Detective and to the container; but his attention was still focused on her and her question.] *tired growl* "Gotham has...changed since you left. And because of that, I've had to adapt."

 _From his tone, I'm guessing it hasn't changed for the better. I know that its only been a few years since I left, but a lot can change in just a short amount of time; especially in Gotham. Lord only knows what he's had to endure. I'd ask, but he'd just shrug it off; he's good at that, keeping people, especially those he cares for at arms length. Some things never change._

Maggie: [She decides not pry any further and instead pulls the focus back to the case.] "Well, what I have is a whole lot of questions and not a whole lot of answers." [Takes a sip of her coffee.]

Batman: [He looks back at the container doors, his eyes analyzing the damage done to them.] "Just tell me what you know."

Maggie: "What we have is a whole lot of hearsay and speculation. But...we do know that 3 nights ago someone or something, broke into the shipyard and knocked out 3 night-watch security..." [She steps up and stands next to him] "...one of which is in the ICU, hanging on by a thread. Whatever was in this container..." [points briefly at the container in front of them.] "They really wanted it...enough to nearly break someone in half."

Batman hid it well enough, but that last part made him hesitate, made him twitch a little. They slowly made their way inside, passing the through the crushed in doors, ducking under the collasped roof.

Batman: "Do we know what was in the container?"

Maggie: *shocked, sarcastic tone* "We?"

Batman simply looked at her and gave her the subtlest grin, at least that's what she swore that she saw. When it came to Batman, it was difficult for her to read him, which seemed to annoy her to no end.

Maggie: [She chuckles a bit.] "So, just like old times huh?" [Takes a sip of her coffee.] "The truth is that we have no idea what was in this container. And seeing as how the shipping manifest seems to have vanished into thin air, we honestly don't have much to go on."

[Maggie paused for a moment and watched as The Cape Crusader looked around the inside of the container. For a moment, she felt like a rookie, in awe of the man, the legend that inspired her to become a detective in the first place. That moment soon passed, and she thrusted herself back to reality and the task at hand.]

Maggie: "The CSI's dusted for prints and found only the nightwatch men..."

Batman: "Hmm..." [Despite his growly tone, it was smooth, and neutral for the most part.]

Maggie: "I recognize that "Hmm...". It usually means that you're working on a theory."

Batman: "If it comes to anything; you'll be the first to know."

[Batman walks to the back of the container, where he stops. He stands there for a moment, as silent and still as a statue.]

Batman: [Beneath the glazed, mirrored lens, his eyes darted from left to right; up and down, analysing every inch of the container wall.] "Hmm..."

Maggie: [It had been years since she last worked with him, but still; she knew him, better than most and more than he would like to admit.] "You found something?"

 _Like I even have to ask..._

[The Detective walks over to Batman, who had just kneeled down in front of the container wall.]

Batman: "The internal dimensions of a standard 40' foot shipping container is 39' feet and 5" inches."

 _Seriously? I can barely finish a crossword puzzle in the morning and he...just like that knows the dimensions of a shipping container? Guess I shouldn't be surprised...There's a reason Gordan called him The World's Greatest Detective._

Maggie: *sarcastic tone* "Umm, thanks Google, but that's not what I asked?"

[Batman slowly stood up still staring at the wall and even though his back was to her, she has worked with enough to know when he saw something that she didn't.]

Batman: "I started measuring the container the moment that we stepped inside." [ He turns to detective, his intuitive reflective gaze meeting her curious gaze.] "The inside of this container, is 32' ft and 7" in."

[The Dark Knight now had Detective Sawyer's complete and undivided attention. Her eyes locked onto the container wall, and after reaching into her jacket pocket; pulling out two latex gloves, she quickly puts them on and runs her fingers along the seam on the right side of the wall. On a hunch she pushed on the right side and immediately heard a clicking noise followed quickly by a popping sound.]

[The wall was now open, just enough for the Detective to slide her fingers through. Batman leant her a hand and the two grunted as they opened the false wall. Seconds later they finally see what was being hidden and it was most unexpected to say the least.]

Maggie: *slow, shocked tone* "What in the hell?"

[She took a few steps towards the contraption wielded to the other wall; honestly she couldn't make heads or tails on what it was exactly.]

 _My god, I can't even-_

[She pulls reaches into her phone and taps on the flashlight app; after she starts shining it all around the area, every inch of the room.]

Maggie: *low, shocked tone* "What, in the hell am I looking at?"

Batman: *stern growl* "What you are looking at...is a cage."

[The detective turns to him, her face a mixture of confusion and shock, with a tone to match.]

Maggie: *confused tone* "A cage?"

[She turns back to the so-called cage that stands before.]

 _If this was a cage, then who...what was being kept in here?_

[Batman had walked past her and over the monitoring equipment that riddled the east wall. He looked at the one particular monitor, one which had a few lines leading from the monitor to the cage itself. He walked over to the door of the cage, which had been ripped off the hinges and walked inside. He knelt down and stared at the 5 inch needle laying on the floor. Detective Sawyer walked over and knelt down as well, shining the light from her phone down on the needle.]

Maggie: "That looks like an I.V. drip."

Batman: "Looks like."

[Her eyes drift to the pool of liquid which had started to dry; she watched as Batman turned to his right guantlet, pressed a few buttons and placed his hand just above the pool. Seconds later a light emitnates from his glove, scanning the liquid.]

Maggie: [A grin engrosses her face.] "Man, I missed watching you work. That and your, little gadgets there."

Batman: "Just another-"

Maggie: [Cuts off Batman.] "Just another tool in a Detectives' arsenal...[Chuckles a bit] Yeah, I remember."

[After a few seconds the light disappears and with that he stands up and makes his way out of the cage. He starts to walk out of the container, leaving the Detective confused and so she follows.]

Maggie: [Just inches away from leaving the container, she calls out to him,] "Hey wait..." [This causes him to stop dead in his tracks.] *confused tone* "So what, that's it? There's still more evidence to process..."

Batman: *confident tone* "Yes, I know. But I have something else that needs my attention."

Maggies: *scoffs* "Yeah well, you still haven't told me what this is about, or who it is exactly that you're "hunting" for?"

[Batman takes a deep breath, reminding himself that he wasn't in Gotham anymore. Here in National City, there were less than 4 people that he could trust, and she was one of them. For so long he avoided working with others, but after so many years he had come to rely on their strengths as well as their perspectives.]

[He turned and walked over to her; after grabbing something from one of his pouches he hands it to her.]

Batman: "If it's who I think it is, you'll need this."

[The Detective takes the device from Batman and looks at it briefly.

Maggie: [Looks back at Batman, looking slightly annoyed by his lack of an answer.] "What do I need this for?"

Batman: "Its heavily encrypted. Use it when you find whatever did this. Because I have a hunch, that you'll need my help, whether the Girl of Steel likes it or not."

[Batman once more started to make his way out of the container.]

Maggie: [Calls out to him and once more he stops.] *concerned tone* "Give it to me straight...Is it that bad?"

Batman: [He turns slightly, the glare from the headlights darkening his frame.] "Good luck Detective...You'll need it."

[With that he turned the corner with the Detective right on his heels, but when she got to the container door, he was gone.]

Maggie: [Took her cell phone and deactivated the flashlight app and looks into the sky.] *Mumbles her amazement* "How the hell does he do that?" [She looks down at her phone and scrolls through her contacts. After finding who she was looking for, she taps the screen and presses the phone against her ear.]

Maggie: "Hey Alex its me...I'm sorry for this but I don't think I'll be able to make it tonight...Actually," [Turns back, briefly glimpsing at the container before turning back around.] "Can you meet me at National City Shipyard..." [Looks down at the device that Batman had given her. Seconds later she quickly placed it in her pocket.] "...I think there's something that you and J'onn should see."

 **Last Thoughts** **: Hey ppl, now I know that once again I'm just a teeny bit short of this chapter but I assure you the next chapter will be longer *heh that's what she said*. I made this chapter shorter because it was meant to setup a pre-existing relationship between Batman and Detective Sawyer from when she was an officer with the GCPD. Now I might go into more detail as to why she left Gotham for National CIty but for now I'm fully focused on these current events. So, what do you think was in that was locked away in the cage? Also, who put him there and who broke'em out? All questions and comments welcome and I'll see you all in the next chapter, L8R.**


	4. Beneath The Shadows

**Author's Note:** **Hey everyone what's going on. First off, I'm sorry it took so long for me to post this chapter, between this and other fics and projects well...you know. Secondly, this chapter is a bit longer than previous ones, by design because I really wanted to introduce the common enemy.**

 **Now this chapter and the one after takes place before ep. , the one where they find Jeramiah Danvers and find out that he is *spoiler* working for Cadmus. Also, after reading the reviews and PM's that ppl have sent me, I might start hinting at a Bruce/Kara or Batman/Supergirl kind of thing. Other than that, I would like to say that thank you for reading this story, and all reviews, good and bad are welcomed. Enjoy.**

 **P.S:** **I know most of you really don't like James being a vigilante because he is quote "Bored with being just a side-kick or sitting on the sidelines" but hopefully when this story is done it will change your mind a bit...yes...no...okay then nevermind. ;)**

 **8:30 a.m. Kara's Apartment**

Mon-El had awoken in Kara's bed, but when he rolled over to greet her, he found himself curiously alone. This left him to wonder if he had done something wrong or something right. His wandering thoughts were soon quelled when he went into the living room, where he turned on the TV, which was tuned to the local news channel; there, his full and undivided attention was on the reporter, who had started listing off the heroic feats that Supergirl had accomplished that morning.

He could feel the smile forming on his face while at the same time putting on his t-shirt from last night. Suddenly, he looked up from the TV and saw Supergirl flying by the windows and into the apartment via the open bay window. A smiling Kara walked over to him, carrying a cardboard tray holding two coffee cups in one hand and a batch of roses in the other. Mon-El's smile only grew as he stared at Kara's smile; her smile was brighter than any star was his one, singular thought as she approached him.

She continued smiling as she handed him the batch of roses and one of the two cups of coffee, taking the other for herself. After taking a sip from their respective cups, the two share a brief kiss; afterwards Kara places her coffee on the kitchen table and wanders into the bedroom to change out of her current attire. Less than a second later, she emerges, sporting her usual clothing and watches as Mon-El places the flowers inside the lamp shade, which causes Kara to chuckle a bit.

The two embrace one another and shared yet another kiss, this time they took it in, enjoying the warmth of each other's lips. He slowly wrapped his hands around her waist, while she threw her arms around his neck. Just as they started getting into the moment, Kara's phone started ringing.

Mon-El: [His lips still pressing against hers, only periodically stopping to speak.] *sarcastic tone* "You don't have to get that."

Kara: [Continues enjoying the feel of his lips touching hers; forming a smile in between.] *giggles* "It can wait."

They continued kissing for few more moments, but the insistant ringing from Kara's phone started to sour the mood. After the the 6th ring, she reluctantly broke away, grabbing her phone from off the kitchen counter.

Kara: [Mumbles] *begrudging tone* "Sorry, its just..."

She glimpses the name that was popping up on her phone, which made her brow furrow a bit as she tapped the screen to answer.

Kara: [Places the phone against her ear.] *Suprised tone* "Hey Maggie," [Mon-El picked up his coffee cup and took a sip; meanwhile Kara's expression changed, a mixture of uncertainty and concern.] "Yeah...yeah we'll meet you there."

Mon-El: [He noticed Kara's expression and tone had changed, which made him somewhat concerned.] *curious tone* "Everything okay? What did Maggie want?" [Takes another sip from his coffee.]

Kara: [Stares at phone for a few seconds before replying to his question.] "I don't know...she says that she's found something at the shipyard that she needs to show us. But there was something...off. She sounded...I don't know, nervous or something. She asked to meet her at the D.E.O."

Mon-El: [Nods slowly.] "So...I should get dressed,"

Kara: [Nods.] "Yeah, yeah that'd probably be a good idea."

 **A few Minutes Later**

 **D.E.O. Headquarters**

Kara and Mon-El had no idea what to expect when they arrived at the D.E.O. especially Kara who seemed particularly unsettled by how cryptic Detective Maggie Sawyer was on the phone. So when the elevator doors opened, she was somewhat surprised that they were being greeted by Agent Vasquez, who had been waiting for them.

 **Kara:**

Agent Vasquez: "Ms. Danvers," [Looks over at Mon-El standing beside Kara.] "Mon-El sir." [Looks back at Kara.] "Everyone is waiting in the conference room for you ma'am."

Kara: "Thanks Vasquez."

[The agent gave a simple nod before leaving to return to her original duties. Kara looks to her right, looking into the conference room; J'onn was walking back and forth, his hands resting on his hips. Winn was sitting next to James, chatting whil Alex and Maggie stood next to each other, whispering.]

Mon-El: [Looks over at the conference room.] *curious tone* "Any idea what's going on?"

Kara: [Shakes her head and lets out a nervous sigh.] "Nope. But I have a feeling that we're about to find out."

[Her gaze remains focused on the conference room as she and Mon-El made their way over. Like a gentleman, Mon-El opens the door for Kara, who gave a smile as she walked in. Everyone's eyes were now on her and Mon-El; Kara's eyes scanned the room, etching every expression into her mind, then her eye landed on Alex, her sister.

Alex always had a knack for being able to read Kara's mind without actually having the ability. So, when the DEO agent quickly looked at Kara, then Mon-El, then Kara once more, she knew that something had happened. With a questioning look on her sister's face, Kara subtly shook her head.]

 _I'm not going to tell everyone about...Mon-El and I, especially not here...not yet._

[Alex gave her a subtle nod followed quickly by a smile, one which all but shouted _About damn time_. Now Kara's eye drifted over to J'onn and for a moment she was worried that he would spill the beans, what with him actually being able to read minds and all. But then she remembered back at the bar, when he confessed that he knew about Alex and Maggie, but he didn't tell anyone because it wasn't his secret to tell.

After that she relaxed and re-focused on the task at hand, even though she had no idea what exactly that task was.]

Mon-El: "So, what's going on? Kara said that you sounded craptac on the phone earlier,"

Kara: [Interjects, correcting Mon-El's wording.] "Cryptic, not craptac Mon-El."

Mon-El: [Nods.] "Yes, that...word." [He nearly stuttered on that last part.]

Maggie: [Gives a subtle shrug before responding.] "Sorry about that, its just...old habits I guess. Anyways I promised to keep you updated if I had any new information pertaining to the incident down at the shipyard and well..."

She went into detail about what exactly it was that "she" had found down at the shipyard. She explained how some of the surveillance was disabled while others were put on a loop. After that she moved on, explaining how the container that was broken into had a hidden compartment.

Kara: "So wait, a hidden compartment...what was inside?"

Maggie: [She hesitates for a moment, considering how to answer.] "Not a what exactly..." [She turns, looking at Alex who mets her gaze before turning to J'onn.]

J'onn: [He looks at her for a few seconds before looking down at the tablet in front of him. His finger taps the screen, then looks up at Kara.] "Detective Sawyer copied photos from the scene." [He taps the screen, linking the tablet to the flat screen behind Maggie and Alex.] *digusted tone* "The images are...disturbing."

[His finger swipes across the tablet and less than a second later the images appeared on the flat screen. The first image showed the container itself; Kara, Mon-El, Winn and James all had the same look, one that was a mixture of shock and confusion.]

James: [Leaned forward in his chair.] *Amazed tone* "What in the..."

[J'onn continued, swiping the tablet screen once more bringing up a new image, this time of the interior of the container. It showed the false wall, slightly ajared.]

Winn: [His brow furrowed.] *Curious tone* "A hidden compartment, in a shipping container?" [Glances over at James briefly.] *humorless tone* "That's never a good sign."

[Kara glances over at the two, her mind filling with questions. She pushed them aside to ask the one question that was at the forefront.]

Kara: [Stares at the image, but her question was directed either J'onn, Maggie, or Alex.] "What was inside the compartment?"

[Kara could sense their hesitation, and it became more apparent when she looked away from the screen. Her eyes drifted from Maggie to Alex and finally to J'onn. He swiped the tablet once more and the next image appeared.]

Kara: [Her face twists, quickly changing from questioning to appalling.] *mumbles* "By Rao..."

Winn: *shocked tone* "Is that a-a-"

Mon-El: [His face tighten as he stared at the image on the flat screen.] *stern tone* "A cage." [Winn and Kara look over at him, with the latter scanning the look of disgust engrossing his face. Though he is reluctant to meet their gaze, especially Kara's; he explains why he feels so throughly disgusted.] "On Daxam the royal family used cages like this for the more dangerous game, and in some cases...the more unrulely slaves."

[Kara had heard how cruel the Daxamites could be, especially those within the royal family. She was just grateful that Mon-El was different, he was more kind, more like a Kryptonian than a Daxamite. Her hand gentle cupped his, their fingers interlocking; it helped Mon-El feel less guilty about telling them only half of the truth.]

[James' eyes glanced over; he could feel his stomach twist and knot, as if Clark had just walked up and punched him in the stomach. All he could do is look away and concentrate on what was in front of him. Kara turned back to the screen, trying her hardest to stay focused.]

Kara: [Her eyes drifted from the screen to Alex and Maggie:] "Any idea who or what was being held inside?"

Alex: [Glances down before meeting her gaze.] "Not sure yet, but we're working on some leads, hopefully we'll know something soon-"

Maggie: [Interjects, while reaching into her jacket pocket.] "Umm...about that." [Pulls out an evidence bag and places it on the table in front of them.]

J'onn: [Picks up the evidence bag, then looks over at Maggie with a questioning look.] "What's this?"

Maggie: "That was found at the crime scene...inside the cage. I managed to bag it before you and Alex arrived last night."

[J'onn stares at it for a minute before passing it off to Alex, who glanced over at Maggie before taking a look at it.]

Alex: [Her eyes squint a little as she stares at the small piece of evidence inside.] "From the shape and texture it looks like it could be...a scale of some kind; I don't recognize the pattern though."

J'onn: [Looks at Maggie with a questioning gaze.] "May I ask what compelled you to not reveal this to us earlier when we were at the shipyard...instead of here at the D.E.O.?"

Maggie: [Inhales deeply as everyone's attention and gaze was now focused on her.] "Honestly...I wanted to run a few tests myself before I brought it to you guys, plus...part of me was hoping that my hunch was wrong."

J'onn: [Leans forward, resting his arms on the glass table.] "And was it?"

Maggie: "Sadly, no." [She pauses for a second, trying to find the words that to express how dangerous the situation has become.] "I know what was in that cage...and you're not going to like it."

J'onn: "Well...don't leave us in suspense Detective."

Maggie: "His name is Waylon Jones..."

James: [His eyes widened and his body tensed up all at once.] *mixed tone- shock and concern* "Whoa, whoa wait a second...Waylon Jones!? Are you positive that its him?"

Maggie: [Reaches into her other pocket and pulls out a thumbdrive and slides it over to Alex.] "A mutual friend sent me this just a few hours ago. Its the digital footprint of where the container has been and it's point-of-origin." [Alex gave thumbdrive to J'onn who glanced at it briefly.]

"The container was custom made and shipped from a Gotham Steelworks facility; one which as it turns out is owned by none other than Cadmus."

[Everyone tensed up when they heard that name. In recent months Cadmus had become a thorn in both Supergirl's and the DEO's side. Their goal was obvious; to rid the world of aliens, whether they were a threat or not. Every time Kara heard the name Cadmus it made her skin crawl, though she tried her best not to show it.]

James: [Leans forward resting his arms on the table.] "This is bad...really, really bad."

Kara: *questioning tone* "Okay, wait a second...this "mutual friend"...how did he get his hands on all of this information?"

Maggie: [It took every ounce of will to keep herself from smirking.] "My friend can be, very...very persuasive."

J'onn: [Looks at the thumbdrive in Alex's hands; seconds later he looks over at Maggie.] "This mutual friend of your's...wouldn't happen to spend his nights running across rooftops and beating up thugs dressed in a cape now would he?"

Maggie: [Clears her throat before looking over at J'onn, trying her best to change the subject.] "The thumbdrive also has a detailed profile on Jones. He thought that it might come in handy."

Winn: [Looks over at his friend, then at Maggie.] "So wait a second...if that thumbdrive came from...then that means that...WHOA you...you've actually seen him, like face to face!? [His tone was filled with a blended mixture of shock, curiousity and excitement.]

[Maggie remained silent, squinting and puckering her lips ever so slightly before giving a half-shrug, which was all the confirmation that Winn needed. He could barely keep himself seated thanks in part to the fact that he knew somebody who stood face-to-face with the Batman. With the exception of Winn, everyone was either confused or filled with uncertainty.]

[J'onn's first experience with the Dark Knight was less than ideal, as he was once tasked with bringing in the Caped Crusader; thinking that he was some sort of alien terrorizing Gotham City. Despite that fiasco, the two remained in contact, usually with a give-take partnership. Still, he hadn't heard from Batman in years, not since the Culling Event transpired a few years back.]

[Part of J'onn wanted to probe Maggie's mind, to see what else she was hiding, but the other part; it knew that doing so wasn't his call to make, even given the fact that this whole situation has caught him off guard. He leans back in his chair, turning it to face the screen where he stared at the image of the cage which is currently plastered on the flat screen.]

[Meanwhile Winn could barely stay seated. He had read about the exploits of Gotham's own vigilante and though he would never willingly admit it, he based James' suit off of some Bat-suit designs from fan-artists. He had kept up with all the blogs about the so-called Dark Knight of Gotham, but never in his wildest dreams did he ever expect to know someone who's actually met the legend himself.]

[He could feel the questions forcing their way to his lips, but before he could ask even a single question...]

J'onn: "We'll talk more about that later, but for now, we need to find this Killer Croc before he starts tearing up the rest of National City." [He looks back at Maggie, his mind full of questions in need of answers.] "Detective Sawyer, can you give us any insight into this Jones character that isn't in the profile?"

Maggie: [Gives a half shrug.] "Besides how vicious he can be when he's pushed into a corner, or if someone invades his territory, not a lot. You're better off looking over the profile."

[Kara scoffed shortly after, which seemed to catch everyone's attention, including the Director himself.]

J'onn: "Kara, is there something that you would like to add?"

[Kara had heard stories about the so-called Batman from her cousin, and none of it was very flattering. By all accounts, he was a psychotic brute who is just as bad, if not more so, than the villians that he locks up in Arkham. And now one of his rogues was roaming around National City which just made her feel even more unsettled.]

Kara: "Its just...what do we really know about this Batman guy anyway, I mean from what my cousin has told me, he seems to be no better the criminals that he beats up and leaves for the police to find."

[Both Maggie and James looked at her, each sporting a unique stern expression. James was to first to speak.]

James: "That's not really a fair assumption Kara, I mean his methods may be a little extreme, but the results speak for themselves. He's done a lot of good things and Gotham is all the better for it."

Maggie: "Its true...look...I was there when the Culling happened and if it wasn't for Batman; most of Gotham City would have been burned to the ground, or worse."

Kara: "I'm not refuting that its just...it just seems that chaos follows him wherever her goes and I don't want that type of darkness in my city, in my home."

[There was a brief moment where everything went silent, so much so that even Alex, and Winn could hear a pin drop from a mile away. Finally, J'onn spoke up, clearing up any lingering thoughts or arguments that might still be left.]

J'onn: "This is not a debate. Now if Batman has provided us actionable intel then we use it." [Looks over at Alex.] "Alex..."

Alex: [She perked up a bit as she turned to face him.] "Yessir..."

J'onn: "Gather strike teams 1 through 5. Get them geared up; they need to be ready to move out once we get a location on this Waylon Jones."

Alex: [Nods in agreement.] "Understood sir."

[J'onn's turned towards Winn, while pointing at the thumbdrive in Alex's hands.]

J'onn: "Agent Schott, you're going to pull any pertinant information pertaining to either Cadmus or Waylon Jones from that thumbdrive. After that, I want you, Alex and Maggie to come up a list of possible locations where he could be hiding out."

Winn: [Nods as Alex hands him the flash drive.] "I'm on it Director."

The next few hours were tense to say the least and yet despite the tension every went along with their tasks. Winn had downloaded the profile on Waylon Jones and provided it to the strike teams that Alex was preparing. The teams were prepped and equipped with the lastest in non-lethal gear. Despite seeing Jones' profile and how lethal he is, the Director made it clear that the priority is to capture and contain Jones; leaving lethal force as a last resort.

It was the one thing that everyone seemed to agree on was that taking him out wasn't an option. Alex had just finished prepping the strike teams and now joined Winn and Maggie in narrowing down potential locations. J'onn tasked Mon-El with asking around the bar and its patrons about any possible sightings. Once he left J'onn told James and Kara to go about their day and that he would notify them if Winn found anything.

James insisted on staying behind to help Winn, Alex and Maggie narrow down the search. This left Kara, who decided it was best to put some space between her and what she called "the Batman fan club". She went to CatCo, updating Snapper on the story.

 **CatCo WorldWide**

 **3:25 p.m.**

Kara adjusted her glasses while waiting for the elevator to reach her floor; all the while her mind seemed to be elsewhere, lost in her thoughts, so much so that she didn't even notice the elevator doors opening, revealing that she arrived on her floor. Fortunately she managed to snap back to reality, just in time to exit the elevator mere seconds before the doors closed. After taking a breath and a few seconds to re-focus, she made her way over to her desk; moving past reception and the dozen or so loitering CatCo employees who were still gossiping about the weeks events.

Once there she sat her purse down beside her desk and took a seat and retrieved her notepad from her purse. She started flipping through the pages, going over the facts and eyewitness statements from the shipyard workers and a few of the hospital staff. Eventually she came to the notes that she had written down shortly after leaving the DEO; her eyes scanned the next few pages until suddenly she paused. Her eyes lingered, fixed on a single word, a name that she had scribbled in the middle of the page.

Even just staring at the name it filled her with a sense of doubt and uncertainty. She felt her hand reach over for one of the pens that was laying on her desk; after, she clicked it and started circling the name itself. Once she was finished she stared at the name for a few more seconds before letting out a heavy sigh...

 **Kara**

 _*mentally sighs* It's bad enough that I have to deal with Lillian Luthor and Cadmus; now I've got to deal with this Killer Croc guy too...ugh. Whoever this, Waylon Jones is gonna find out the hard way that this is not Gotham City. And whatever his connection is to Cadmus I'm going to find out what it is and why they brought him her to National City. Besides, I've got one vigilante to deal with; I don't need this Batman trudging around my city terrorizing people..._

[She leans back it her chair and lets out a heavy sigh as she stretches her neck and once more she stared at the notepad, her eyes lingering on the name. After a few seconds she looks over at the computer and a thought crosses her mind. She leans forward and turns on her computer monitor and clicks on the search engine. When the window popped up, she clicked on the search bar and types in The Batman and hits enter afterwards.]

[Less than a second later and she's already scrolling through websites and news outlets. Most of the sites were nothing more than conspricy theorists, some stating that Batman was actually a Vampire or a Giant Bat. On top of that, most of the videos of him were to blurry or out of focus; much like those you would see of Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster.]

[Eventually she landed on a news outlet website, The Gotham Gazette, where she found numerous articles about the so-called Batman. Most of the articles were published by a single reporter, Vicki Vale. From the level of detail in her articles, Kara assumed that Ms. Vale herself has had more than a few run-ins with the so-called Dark Knight of Gotham.]

[Kara pulled up her email account and started typing; it was a long shot for sure, but with her curiousity yet unquenched, all Kara could hope for was for Ms. Vale to respond to her correspondence. Once the email was sent, Kara started closing out of every window and it's corresponding tabs, all except one.]

[It was image of the Batman, albeit a sketch of the supposed Batman, drawn by a Kyle Rayner. Her eyes focused on the image, only to eventually meet the character's scowling expression and white blank eyes.]

"Kara,"

[Despite all of her superhuman advantages, Kara was still proned to someone sneaking up on her, causing her to jump a bit. She quickly spun around in her chair...]

Kara: *relieved sigh* "Oh hey Eve,"

Eve: "Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you." [Flashes a sympathetic smile. Her eyes then move from Kara to the image plastered on Kara's computer screen.] "That looks like..."

Kara: [Looks back at the screen, turning it off.] *stammers* "Uh yeah its uh-its just a sketch of Gotham's so-called Batman."

Eve: [Walks closer, leaning on her desk while holding some file folders in one arm.] "Yeah, yeah...you know, I actually met him once."

Kara: [Looks back at her, sporting a surprised look.] *surprised tone* "Really?"

Eve: [Nods a few times before replying.] "Yeah, my mother lives in Gotham City, anyways I was down there one summer a few years back visting her, during this really nasty gang war between the Carmine Falcone,"

Kara: *Shocked tone* "The Crime Boss?"

Eve: [Nods.] "Yeah, it was between him and someone named Cobbletot or Crumblepot...I don't really remember but he kind of looked like a penguin when he walked. Anyways, I was crossing the street to my mother's apartment when these gunshots started ringing out and when I turned...I saw this car barrelling right for me..."

Kara: [Her surprised look quickly replaced by concern.] *curious/questioning tone* "Wow, wh-what happened? What did you do?"

Eve: "What do you think I did? I closed my eyes and shrieked like I was 5 years old, but then out of nowhere I feel someone grab me and lift me off the ground. The next thing I know, it was like I'm flying." [Her eyes widen briefly as she started making motions with her hands.] "When I opened my eyes, I saw him. The Batman."

Kara: [Appeared both relieved and shocked at Eve's account.] "Wow..."

Eve: "We flew up to a nearby rooftop, after that I saw him turn to the car, which had two guys peeking out firing these guns. He then leaps off the roof and flies or glides over onto the roof of car and pulls out the driver. The car then crashes into a guard rail. After he pulls the passenger out, he ties them up and hangs them upside down from a nearby lamppost, leaving their guns underneath them."

[Kara couldn't believe what she was hearing, and if it were anyone else she would have thought that they were spinning a tall tale, but not Eve. And what surprised her more was that Eve was not at all freaked out by the experience.]

Kara: *reassured tone* "Eve, wow...you must have been terrified?"

Eve: [Shrugs a little.] "At first, but when he picked me up and held me in those big-bulging biceps of his-" [Bits her bottom lip.]

Kara: [Holds her hands up, and interjects.] "I-I get it."

Eve: [Shrugs once more.] "Well anyways, what the news outlets and the Gotham Gazette say about him; about how he's just as brutal as the criminas and mob bosses is complete garbage. You ask me, the guys' a hero."

[She leans off the desk and starts to walk off when she stops and turns around.]

Eve: "Oh duh I almost forgot, Snappers' looking for you; he's in the Bullpen."

Kara: [Smiles briefly.] "Thanks Eve."

[Eve flashes her smile before walking out of sight; a few seconds later Kara grabbed her notepad and pen, then stood up and strides over to the Bullpen. She stopped just shy of the door and glances in through the glass walls to see Snapper sitting down at his desk, shuffling through papers filled with the day's stories. Her eyes quickly drifted to the notepad that she was fidgeting with in her hands; after staring at it for a few seconds she looks back up at Snapper.]

 _Crap, he's scowling. That's not good, he only scowls like that when doesn't get his coffee and danish..._

[Kara takes in a slow, deep breath and holds it for a second before releasing it, afterwards she reaches for the handle and pushes it open, just enough to peek her head inside.]

Kara: *curious tone* "You wanted to see me chief?"

Snapper: [His eyes peek over the rim of his reading glasses, while holding a piece of paper in each hand. His expression a combination of annoyance and irritation.] "You're late Danvers...again."

Kara: [Shyly adjusts her glasses.] *apologetic tone* "Sorry Chief..."

Snapper: [He lays down both pieces of paper and takes off his glasses and stares at her for a moment.] *sighs heavily* "Millenials," [He lays his glasses on the desk before picking up the papers from before and combines them. After, he looks over at another reporter who was the room, working.] *shouts* "Johnson!"

[The mildly shaken reporter turns around and rushes over to Carr's desk and stood there without saying a word. Snapper hands the two sheets off to the reporter.]

Snapper: *irritated tone* "This...is crap. Rewrite it and this time use spell check for crying out loud; your grammer and spelling is almost worse than Danvers here..."

[Kara fought the urge to retort Snapper's remark; the reporter on the other hand couldn't help but chuckle a bit at Snapper's less-than-subtle insult towards her. Carr glared at him, looking slightly more annoyed than before.]

Snapper: *displeased tone* "Did I say something funny Johnson?"

[When the reporter saw the look in Snapper's eyes, he quickly stiffened up and shook his head nervously.]

Snapper: "That's what I thought, now...get that rewritten and on my desk by the end of the day or start looking for a new job, got it."

[The reporter glanced over at Kara for a quick second before looking back at Snapper Carr and nodding awkwardly.]

Snapper: *irrate/sarcastic tone* "Why are you still standing here?"

[With that, the reporter quickly rushed out of the room, leaving just Kara and Snapper alone. Kara was a bit stunned by the subtle way that Snapper defended her, despite the fact that he had just insulted her just a few seconds eariler. That thought quickly subsided as Snapper leaned back in his chair, his attention now focused on her.]

Snapper: *grumpy tone* "Danvers..." [Waves his arms over his desk.] "What is missing here?"

Kara: [The question had taken her by surprise, but still she tried her best to answer his curious question.] *mumbles* "Uhh, what is..." [She stared his desk for a few minutes, before an answer suddenly hit her.] *excited tone* "You're coffee and danish!"

Snapper: *exasperated tone* "No,"

Kara: [Mimics his answer.] "No."

Snapper: *growing irrate tone* "What is missing... is your story about the shipyard; the one that I assigned to you on Monday, the one that you have yet to turn in. So, why is it not on my desk or in my hands this very second?"

[Kara hesitated, not knowing what she could actually share with Snapper since it was an ongoing DEO investigation. The agency itself is only known to a few individuals outside of the government and as far as anyone else was concerned; the agency was nonexistant, which made it even more difficult for Kara.]

[Still, she had a job to do, which she was determined to do without compromisiing an DEO investigation.]

Kara: *flustered* "Yes well umm, about that..."

Snapper: *sarcastic tone* "Spit out Danvers, daylight's fading."

Kara: *clears her throat* "Well chief...I haven't turned it in yet because there's been a development in the story and I need a little bit more time to investigate further."

 _So there you stupid jerk-face...guy. Geez I really am terrible at insults._

Snapper: [Leans forward, resting his arms on his desk.] *annoyed tone* "What kind of development?"

Kara: "I have a friend in the NCPD, a detective who's investigating the case and they might have found a connection between what happened at the shipyard and...Cadmus." *sighs heavily*

Snapper: [His left brow arcs upward, and for a few fleeting seconds he remained silent as he sat up in his chair as his interest was now piqued.] "My silence is your queue to continue..."

The next 8 minutes came and went in a flash. Kara told Snapper what she could without compromising either the DEO or herself as Supergirl. She told him about the evidence that her detective friend had found at the scene and showed him photos that she had Winn copy and send to her phone of the scene itself.

When it came to the photo of the hidden compartment Snapper's first inclination was that the container itself was being used to ship drugs, weapons or tech. But those were quickly laid to rest as Kara explained that the container was used to haul living cargo; though his reaction didn't show, the news both surprised and disgusted Snapper Carr. Despite this, he asked her how exactly Cadmus was involved for which she said that a friend of her detective friend managed to track the container's point of origin to a shell company owned by Cadmus.

Despite all the overwhelming evidence, Snapper was still reluctant to run the story, especially since it was likely that the detective in question would refuse to go on the record and that all the so-called evidence was circumstantial. Still, his interest was peaked and so he gave her more time to continue her investigation.

Kara gave her thanks before exiting the Bullpen; afterwards she grabbed her purse and walked over to the elevators. She was heading back to the DEO to see what they had found, but first she had to make a pit stop at her apartment to change into something more suitable.

After stopping by her apartment to change into her Supergirl attire, she checked in on the news and quickly turned on her TV. That's when she noticed that there was a wildfire burning out of control in National City's Municiple Park; 100 acres of trees and wildlife threaten by an all consuming blaze, so naturally she had to act. It took a bit longer than she originally thought, but after a few hours she managed to snuff out the blaze. She wanted to go back home, take a shower and relax a bit, instead; she flew over to the DEO and entered through the balcony.

Walking in, she noticed that everyone was hustling around, more so than usual. Everyone was so busy with their own task that no one seemed to even notice her walk in. Not wanting to disturb anyone and to keep out of everyone's way, she decided to walk up to the catwalk. There, she perched, grasping the railing and watching the activity below. To her left, the strike teams were prepped and ready to move at a moments notice; equipped with the latest in non-lethal technology and weaponry, as their orders were to capture and detain on site.

Seconds later, her gaze drifted to the center of the room, where Winn was sitting at his terminal, constantly staring back and forth from his computer, to the over-sized monitor that was fixed to the wall in front of him. Kara glanced up at the monitor, which had a live satellite feed of National City. Also on the screen was a tracking node constantly shifting to various locations across the screen. Kara figured Winn was still trying to track down Waylon Jones, aka Killer Croc's whereabouts. After a bit she returned her gaze to Winn, just in time to see both Alex and Maggie walk into the fray.

Maggie had two cups of what Kara assumed was coffee in her hands, one of which she handed off to Winn, who graciously accepted. The three conversed amoung themselves and though she could have used her super hearing to listen in on their conversation she chose not to. Instead she stood there, leaning against the railing, trying to sort through a few things in her head while also enjoying the brief moment of peace to herself. Meanwhile...

 **6:35 p.m. DEO HQ**

 **J'onn J'onzz**

[The Director of the DEO walks back and forth in his office staring at the tablet in his hands. He waits and listens as James Olsen, aka the Guardian, and Mon-El search an abandoned fish packing plant; one of 6 places that Winn's search algorithm deduced as a possible hiding spot for Waylon Jones, aka Killer Croc.

Originally 12 possible locations popped up, of which he sent 4 of his 5 tactical teams to the various locations across the city. Seeing his resources stretched thin, James said that he would help with the search.]

 _J'onn: "It is too dangerous Mr. Olsen, especially since you-"_

 _James: *retorts* "Don't have any powers? That's what you going to say right?"_

 _J'onn: "It's not about having powers; you lack both training and discipline for an encounter such as this."_

 _James: "Hey, I helped Kara and Mon-El beat Parasite, remember?"_

 _J'onn: *retorts* "Yes because they were there to back you up, but you as well as anyone know what this Jone's character is capable of...and you want to search for him, by yourself? I think not. I will not have you risking your life in pursuit of Waylon Jones; so I'm telling you...nicely...to stand down."_

 _James: *scoffs* [He takes a second to collect his thoughts and regain his composure. Part of him knew that J'onn was just looking out for him, but at the same time he believed that doing this, that being the Guardian was what he was meant to do.]*stern tone*"No."_

 _J'onn: [A look incompasses his face, one that is a mixture of subtle shock and annoyance.] "Excuse me?"_

 _James: *defensive tone* "This is my city too J'onn...now I may not have powers like you and Kara but I can help, I can protect this city...and I'm going to, whether you or Kara like it or not."_

 _[Suddenly Mon-El and Winn enter the fray, intervening in the heated dicussion between the two.]_

 _Winn: [Gets between the J'onn and James, gently nudging them apart.] "Whoa, whoa easy fella's easy; we're all-" [J'onn looks down at Winn's hand which she had placed on his shoulder. Winn looks over and quickly removes it, mostly out of fear.] "-we're on the same side here am I right?" [Looks awkwardly back and forth between J'onn and James who are having a stare down.] "Right guys?"_

 _[Niether J'onn nor James appeared to be backing down from one another, as they continued to stare each other down. Then, the last person they expected gave an unexpected option.]_

 _Mon-El: "Hey, guys, buddies...how about...a compromise, hmm? Me and James can go and check out a few of the places, that way he'll have backup...just in case."_

 _[Everyone seemed just as surprised as the next to see Mon-El coming up with a clever plan, even J'onn had to admit that. J'onn also knew that time was of the essence and seeing as how his resources were already stretched thin, the decision was clear.]_

 _J'onn: [Glances from Mon-El to James.] *authoritarian tone* "Eyes and Ears only. If you find any evidence that Jones is at any of these locations, you radio it in and get out. Got it."_

[After a few hours, J'onn started to realize that he may have been a bit out of line earlier. Truth was, he respected what Olsen was doing, and respected the fact that despite having no powers and very little training, that he was actually making a difference. For a moment, his mind wandered, seeing the differences and similarities between James' Guardian and Batman himself. Suddenly...]

*distorted voice* " _All clear, no sign of Jones._ "

J'onn: *sighs* "Understood Guardian. Sending you and Mon-El the next location." [Taps the screen of his tablet, sending off the last few locations he had left to give.] "There's only one more left after that."

*distorted voice* " _Got it."_

J'onn: "Remember Guardian...eyes and ears only. If you find Jones you call it in, you do not, under any circumstances engage. Are we clear?"

Guardian: " _Crystal..._ "

*another male voice* " _Hey, uhh I have a question..."_

J'onn: [Places his hand up to his ear piece.] "What is it Mon-EL?"

Mon-El: " _Well, its just...Kara has a code name and Ja-I mean Guardian here has a code name...when do I get mine?_ "

J'onn: [Shakes his head.] *sighs* "Just notify me when you reach the next location."

[With that, the conversation was over, he took out his earpiece and sat it down on the desk with the tablet; afterwards, he rubbed his face as he took a seat on the edge of the desk. In times of silence, like now, his mind would often wander; mostly about his past life on Mars, but in the more recent months, he thought mostly about M'Gahnn. He would wonder how she was doing, if she was alright, or sick or hurt, but mostly he would just wonder.

Eventually he was able to snap away from his thoughts, there was still a mission left to complete. He looked over at the tablet sitting next to him, then he picked it up and tapped the screen a few times until the desired screen appeared. On it was the profile on Waylon Jones, his finger slowly slid along the edge of the screen, scrolling through the words and becoming impressed by the massive, detailed information provided...]

 _I knew you were thorough Bruce but this...this is impressive. The amount of time and effort put into this...its no surprise that your social life is... non-existent. Now I know why Clark calls you the World's Greatest Detective. You'd have made one hell of a DEO agent; if you played well with others that is._

[This was his 3rd time reading this profile; every crime, every heinous act etched and seered into his mind. He could only imagine what Waylon Jones would be capable of if he was truly working with Cadmus; a thought that made him cringe, so much so that he stopped reading and sat the tablet down on the desk once more.

He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, but in doing so he sensed a familiar prescence nearby. His eyes snap opened and he looked over to his right, only to see Kara standing on the catwalk, leaning against the railing, watching the activity below.

Most of his focus was on the mission at hand, yet he still noticed the look currently plastered on the Girl of Steel's face. It was a look he saw all too often, mostly when he looked in the mirror of a morning. Though he couldn't read a Kryptonian's mind, he knew that she was in conflict with her own thoughts and since there was no new leads he decided to do something to help. He walked to the doorway, stopping briefly before slowly making his way over.]

*soft tone* "Supergirl,"

[The Girl of Steel looked to her right to see J'onn slowly walking towards her with a mused look plastered on his face. Once he was by her side he too gripped the railing and glanced down at Winn, Maggie and Alex below briefly before returning his gaze to Kara.]

Kara: [Flashes a tired smile.] Hey J'onn..." [Her gaze returns to the monitor planted on the wall.] "Sorry I'm late, I got held up."

J'onn: [A small smirk crosses his lips as she looked away.] *sarcastic tone* "So I heard. Nice job by the way; the way you put out that wildfire was...impressive."

[Despite J'onn trying to remain professional, his compliment still caused Kara to smile, stretching from cheek to cheek.]

Kara: [Gives a little shrug as she continued to smile.] *playfully scoffs* "Oh that; *pfft* it wasn't anything that Supergirl couldn't handle." *giggles slightly* [Looks over at J'onn.]

J'onn: [Looks over, a small smile crossing his face.] *jokingly* "Glad to see that your modesty hasn't waned."

[Part of her knew that she was being overly modest, but then again the feat that she performed was quite a sight. Snuffing out a wildfire by using her freeze breath to freeze a portion of a nearby lake. Then lifting said portion and melting it over the wildfire, quelling it and saving the rest of the National Forest Park.

Of course, she would never tell anyone, much less J'onn, but she actually copied the idea from her cousin Clark, or Superman as most people know him. He was in a similar situation a few years back, and so she used his idea.]

J'onn: "Still, don't get cocky; the day isn't over yet. Remember, we still got a fugitive to catch."

[Kara expression quickly changed from confident to uncertainty as she looked away and down at the monitor below.]

Kara: "Speaking of..." [Watches Winn's tracking software for a few seconds before glancing over at J'onn.] "How's the search going?"

[J'onn grips the railing tighter as he turns his gaze from Kara to the monitor below.]

J'onn: "We've been at it since this morning and so far, there's nothing to indicate where this Waylon Jones is or if he's still in the city."

Kara: [Gives a subtle shrug.] "Maybe he isn't...maybe he hightailed it back to Gotham or...wherever."

J'onn: [Lets out a heavy sigh, then shakes his head slightly.] "No...no he's here; just hiding. Batman wouldn't have given Ms. Sawyer that thumbdrive if he thought otherwise."

Kara: [Her face twists a little; looking slightly amused.] *joking tone* "Sounds like you've met him before..."

[She waited for J'onn to say something, anything; instead he remained silent, merely giving a musing look, which spoke volumes. After a few seconds, it suddenly hit her and the shock encompassed her face.]

Kara: [Her eyes widened, her mouth gaped open slightly.] *shocked tone* "Wait...What!?" [Though this newest revelation was quite a surprise, she still tried to keep their conversation between themselves.] *whispers* "When did you-how-why didn't you tell me!?"

J'onn: [Stands up straight, rasing his hands front of him briefly before resting resting one on his hips.] "First off, it was years ago, long before Alex even joined the DEO, secondly it was need to know and third... Your attitude towards vigilantes as a whole is well known to everyone here; or need I remind you about your reaction when you found out that Olsen was the Guardian?"

Kara: [Turns fully towards J'onn, crossing her arms in front of her chest.] *defensive tone* "That is...that was different, James he-'

J'onn: [Interrupts.] "Kept it a secret from you for months, yes I know. But would your reaction have been any different if he came out and told you from the beginning?"

[Kara's mouth opened, yet she remained silent as she realized that J'onn was right, even though she has tried to tell herself otherwise. It still made her uncomfortable to think about James out there fighting meta-humans, aliens or worse. And even though the both of them agreed to stop trying to protect one another and accepted their new roles, she still worried.]

J'onn: "That's what I thought. And don't even get me started on what happened this morning..."

Kara: [Her faced scrunched up a bit.] "This morning?"

J'onn: "When Maggie told us where the intel came from. You were less than thrilled to hear that it came from Batman."

[Once more, he was right, which only seemed to annoy her even more.]

Kara: "Okay fine, you're right, but its just..." [She quickly tried to regain her composure, using facts and heresay to strengthen her argument.] "I've looked into him and from the news articles and heresay, he doesn't sound like a very nice guy, much less a hero and...on top of that, I hear that he doesn't play well with others."

J'onn: "According to who, your cousin?" [Looks away for a brief second.] "Yeah, those two never did see eye to eye on certain matters. But at the end of the day," [Looks back at Kara.] "Clark trusts him, more than anyone else, and that should count for something."

Kara: "Do you trust him J'onn?"

[He took a moment to think about his answer; it was difficult question, one with no easy answer, still...]

J'onn: "At the end of the day, he does the best he can with what is thrown at him. Plus, he saved my life once; so I owe him the benefit of the doubt."

[Kara's eyes widened once more when she heard J'onn confession about Batman. He never talked much about his past, at least the part where he posed as Hank Henshaw, so this information came as quite a shock.]

Kara: *shocked tone* "He saved your life? When-"

J'onn: [Takes in a deep breath before responding.] "As I said, it was before I recruited Alex to the DEO. Actually, it was my first mission after impersonating Director Henshaw. We had gotten word that a Fort Rozz escapee had put down roots in Gotham CIty. It was a Sangarian by the name of Fu'tozz; he trafficked in everything from alien tech and weaponry to human cargo. After weeks of searching covertly we tracked him down to an abandoned warehouse at the Gotham Dockyard.

I remember feeling a...prescence as we approached the warehouse, but...I couldn't quite make it out. I chalked it up to nerves, seeing as how this was my first time in the field. But, when we stormed the building, we found ourselves quite the surprise."

Kara: [Despite her best efforts, she couldn't hide the curiousity in her eyes as she listened intently.] *curious tone* "What did you find?"

J'onn: "23 thugs, unconcious and bound. Weapons, tech, everything was still there, including the containers which were left unlocked, but no Fu'tozz. What we found inside the containers..."

Kara: "What was inside, J'onn?"

J'onn: [He turned and gripped the railing once more as he tried to keep certain emotions from bubbling up to the surface.] "Kids, children, 12 of them...the oldest couldn't have been more than 8 years old. It turns out that the kids were taken from their homes and parents to be sold as child labor."

Kara: [Horror and disgust filled her face as her eyes started to swell.] *shocked/digusted tone* "By Rao..."

J'onn: "Once we gathered up the tech and the men who were bound, I asked a few of the children what happened, but none of them would speak, instead they looked up and pointed...And when I looked up...thats when I first saw him."

Kara: "Batman."

J'onn: [Subtly nods.] "Like everyone else I thought he was a myth, or worse case an alien hybrid creature...one that we've never seen before; either way I gave chase. I followed him to a nearby rooftop, and that's when Fu'Tozz got the drop on me." [Turns and looks at Kara; an unquestioning look in his eyes.] "I saw Batman, take on an Sangarian, one on one, hand-to-hand and win. Sangarians are as you know, super-strong, and nearly impossible to take down and yet, he did. Not many people could say that. If it wasn't for Batman, not only would I not be here, but those kids...I can't even imagine."

[J'onn couldn't seem to bring himself to finish that sentence, instead he seemed to trail off as he looked back down at the monitor below.]

Kara: [Her emotions were running rampent; she thought she knew exactly the kind of man Batman was, but now...it was all turned upside down.] "Thats...wow."

J'onn: [Turns to her, his gaze and voice more calm.] "His methods might be considered extreme, but the results are unquestionable. So...to answer your previous question...yes, I do trust him."

 **Abandoned Office Building**

 **James Olsen/the Guardian and Mon-El**

[A black panled van pulls up to the back of the boarded-up plant, parking near what used to be the docking bays; shutting off the engine, the driver steps out, closing the door behind him. James Olsen, who is currently dressed from head to toe in his Guardian gear, glances at the building and the surrounding area briefly before making his way to the back of the van itself. Seconds later, the paneled doors swing open and Mon-El steps out.]

Mon-El: [Closes the doors behind him before standing beside James and looking up at the packing plant in front of them.] *sarcastic tone* "Yay, another rundown warehouse..." [Glances over at James.] "What are the odds, hmm?"

[James barely heard a word that Mon-El said, choosing to instead focus on the task at hand. The last 4 locations that they checked out were a bust and with each one, Mon-El's enthusiam began to wane. Olsen on the other hand was constantly on alert, only relaxing when the locations were cleared. With only two locations left for them to check, James chose to remain vigilate, just in case something turned up.]

[He stood there, staring at the building while adjusting his gloves and fidgeting with his shield. Despite his best efforts to remain calm, something about this place seemed different, felt off and made him even more uneasy.]

Mon-El: [Despite James attempt to hide it, Mon-El could sense that something about this place was making James uneasy.] *clears throat* [This caused James to snapped from his thoughts back to reality.] "So, you think he's in there?"

James/Guardian: [This time he was listening and turned, peering through his visor at Mon-El.] *distorted voice* "Well, lets go find out." [Turned back to the building.]

[With James taking the lead, the two made their way over to the steel door with a chain wrapped around the handle. The industrial grade pad lock was meant to keep out any would-be thieves or vagrants and for the most part it did. That is until James and Mon-El came along; James turned to Mon-El and without saying a word the Daxamite grabbed and ripped it off the chain, tossing them both off to the side.

James gripped the handle and glanced over at Mon-El, who stood at the ready. After giving each other a quick nod, James pulls open the door. Before heading in, Mon-El reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small tactical flashlight. Once he turned it on, the two headed inside the darkened building, with James bringing up the rear.

A few minutes in, the two found themselves walking down a dark corridor with the single flashlight as the only source of light. James had taken a slight lead in front of Mon-El, and the two cautiously moved forward. At the end of the corridor they turn and find themselves in a small hallway. Mon-El shined his light down the hall, which revealed 2 closed doors on both sides.

The glance at each other briefly, before James jerks his head, a silent signal for Mon-El to check the right side of the hall as he took the left. They quietly made their way to the first set of doors, where they cautiously and quickly opened them. They peered inside, finding both rooms to be completly empty. With that, the two move forward, making their way to the next set of doors. ]

Mon-El: *whispering* "So Ja-I mean, Guardian..." [The two briefly stop, with James glaring at Mon-El, who had a "sorry my bad" look on his face.] *mumbles* "Sorry...about our last conversation..."

James/Guardian: [Mentally sighs, knowing from the last few hours what Mon-El wanted to talk about.] *un-enthusied whisper* *distorted voice* "Not this again."

Mon-El: [They continue making their way to the second set of doors, but Mon-El refused to deviate from talking about it.] *whispering* "I know, I know it just... look, all I'm saying is that it seems a little unfair that I have yet to get a suit or even a codename. I mean you have this, really awesome suit and Kara has hers and all I've got is-"

James/Guardian: *drily states* "Super-strength, super-speed and the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound...that about cover it?"

Mon-El: [Stops in front of the door, looking a bit dumbfounded, thanks to James quick and witty response.] "Well...yeah, you know...when-when you put it like that..."

James/Guardian: [He stopped in front of his door before turning to Mon-El.] *distorted voice* "Look, I'll make you a deal. Let's finish checking out this place and when we get back; I'll put in a good word with J'onn and Winn about getting you a suit, or at the very least a code name, okay?"

Mon-El: [A smile quickly forms on his face and his eyes light up.] *grateful tone* "That's all I'm asking for. Thanks man."

[With that finished, they turned their attention back to the doors in front of them.]

Mon-El: [Let's out a dissappointing sigh as he scanned the room with the flashlight.] "Nothing in here, except for an old office desk." [He walked over to the desk; he swiped his fingers across the top, then stared at the dust that had collected on his fingertips.] "Doesn't look like anyone's been here for a while. I think this place is a bust."

James/Guardian: [Says from the other room, his voice slightly raised.] *distorted voice* "Maybe not."

[Mon-El turned around and headed across the hall to the other room, where James was kneeling down, staring at tiled floor. James could feel the light shining on his back, but he was still fixated on a single spot on the floor. He turned around and saw Mon-El standing in the doorway, slowly making his way into the room. Though his helmet made it impossible to see any facial expression, Mon-El could see the grim look in James' eyes as he peered through the visor.

When James stood up the flashlights' gaze moved and was now focused on a giant, dark crimson tinted splotch in the carpet where James was kneeling. Mon-El slowly kneeled down where James once were and cautiously pressed his first and middle finger into the spot. It felt luke warm, and wet to the touch, even worse was when he pulled back his hand and stared at his crimson soaked fingertips.]

Mon-El: *dread-filled tone* "Blood..." [Slowly rubs the blood between his fingers. Seconds later his gaze returns to the soaked area of the carpet.] "...Lots of it."

James/Guardian: [Looks away briefly, which is when he noticed something on the floor just a few inches away. He bends over and picks up what appeared to be ID's. Briefly, he looks at the photos and the names before turning letting Mon-El know.] *distorted voice* "Take a look at these." [Holds out the two ID's in front of both him and Mon-El, who shines the flashlight on them.] "According to these, they worked security down at the shipyard." [Looks up, taking another glance around the room.] "That can't be a coiencidence."

Mon-El: [He stares at the ID's for more than a minute, focusing more on the names that seemed familiar. Suddenly...] *shocked tone* "Wait a second...I know these two," [Glances up at James, who glances back.] "These were the two guards that Kara interviewed at the hospital."

James/Guardian: [Underneath the helmet, his expression was a mixture of confusion and uncertainty as was his tone.] "Are you sure?"

Mon-El: [Nodded as he glanced down at the badges once more.] "Yeah, yes I'm sure, but-"

[Before he could finish, something grabbed Mon-El's shoulder and flung him backwards with enough force that he smashed through the wall, into the hallway. James barely had time to react when he saw a shadow bust through the doorway and into the room. The shadow attacked, throwing a punch towards James, who managed to lift his shield in time. But, whatever it was that is attacking them, hit with enough strength that it sent James flying and smashing violently against the back wall.

It took every ounce he had to fight through the disorientation and throbbing pain, as James quickly got to his feet. But the shadow was relentless and once more lunged towards him. With less than a second to react, he dodged the intial attack and rolled past the attacker. Quickly, he turned and attacked the shadow with his shield, but the shadow caught the shield, stopping his attack.

With no shield to protect him, the shadow punched James in the chest, completly knocking the wind out of his lungs. This attack sent him flying into the hallway, slamming violently against the doorway. At the same time, Mon-El had got to his feet and checked on his friend...]

Mon-El: [Quickly kneels down beside James.] *concerning tone* "You okay!?"

James/Guardian: *shouts* "Look out!"

[Mon-El turned and saw that the shadow was upon them, leaving them no time to gather. Despite how strong this shadow was, Mon-El lunged at it, hitting it with one punch after another. The shadow fumbled backwards and Mon-El used that to his advantage. James slowly got to his feet, fighting through the pain and soon joined the fight. The two attacked relentlessly, never letting up and for a moment, it appeared that they had it well in hand.

James and Mon-El threw a single punch, but both were caught and held tightly. Seconds later, something slams into James chest, causing him to crumble to the ground. Mon-El quickly glanced over, then turned back and threw yet another punch with his free hand. Once more, the shadow caught it and used its immense strength causing Mon-El to yelp out in pain.]

*deep, animalistic growl* " _ **YOU... AREN'T... CADMUS... STILLL...**_ "

[Despite it being completly dark inside the hallway, Mon-El could feel the creature's gaze upon him. It felt like the gaze of a animal, of a Killer. It leaned in close, its grotesque, rotten breath against the Daxamite's face. ]

" _ **YOU SHOULD'VE STAYED OUTTA THIS BOY...**_ "

 **Authors Comment:** **I hoped you liked the story and I know its a bit slow but I'm working towards a big shocking finale. Also, Killer Croc in story visual-wise is Batman: Arkham Origins, and the one now, well...you'll just have to wait and find out. I wanted to make a custom cover for this story, like what I did with my AOS fic, but I haven't drawn in over 2 years so its taking me a bit longer to get back into it. But if any of you would like to share your art, send me a link and I'll post it.**

 **If I do that I'll post your name or pen-name and the link to the image page directly. Thanks again for reading and I'll catch you all in the next chapter. L8r.**

 **Side-note:** **The batmobile will be making a special appearance in the next chapter.**


	5. Burden of Guilt

**Author's Note:** **Hey ladies and gents, I know its been a while since I posted a chapter everything's been a bit hectic. This chapter is shorter than previous ch's, it was originally supposed to be longer but since last night was the season finale of Supergirl I figured that I should post something. Haven't watched it yet so no spoilers.**

 **Now, after a few PM's I am considering...maybe doing a Bruce/Kara or Batman/Supergirl story l8r on, maybe a future chapter in this story. Anyways I hope you enjoy the story and I promise that I will have an epic showdown between Croc and Batman. Also, Batman will have a talk with James about his late night activities.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **P.S.:** **ITS OFFICIAL! I own nothing that has to do with these characters or any other DCTV characters. :(**

 **A few minutes earlier**

 _Its been 12 days since the nanite-tracers that I injected into Waylon Jones lead me here, to National City; more specifically to a local shipping yard where 3 security guards were attacked, one of which was hospitalized. The tracers have since stopped transmiting and I'm left unable to find Jones; which is why I had to turn to a former colleague and...friend._

 _2 nights ago I made contact with a Detective Maggie Sawyer NCPD, formerly GCPD, and together we discovered some disturbing evidence, within a shipping container that Jones had apparently been kept in. After further investigating, I found a digital trail connecting the container to a shell corporation owned by Cadmus. It was only after I got the analyses back on the scale did I informed Sawyer of who we were dealing with and sent her a thumbdrive containing both the evidence and pertainant infomation on Jones._

 _Needless to say she wasn't too thrilled to hear that Jones was running around loose in her city, nor should she be; she, like me, knows what Jones is truly capable of. We both agreed that for now, I would serve as overwatch until I was needed. Meanwhile she and the DEO took point on the manhunt for Jones while I continued looking for any concrete connection between Jones and Cadmus._

 _After some subterfuge and digging through massive amounts of data and files, missing paper trails and the like, I found something. I need to inform Sawyer what I found, but when I stopped by Maggie's apartment, I found that she was not there, nor was she at the station house. Which means that there was only one place left to check..._

The sound of dense fabric flapping in wind echoed through the night air, as he glided through the skies above National City, looking from one building and street to another for any sign of his prey. Slowly, he begins to descend, landing onto a stone balcony of a nearby church, where he knelt beside a gargoyle statue; one of many which decorated the exterior, like watchful stone guardians. This black and grey clad vigilate stared out into the city, ever watchfull.

 **Batman** **:** _National City...even now its so serene, peaceful and vibrant; a shining beacon of hope...I hate it here. Gotham may be dirty, corrupt and engulfed in darkness, but its home. Here, everything is too bright, to shiny, too...clean. I hate it here._

He continued staring out into the restless city, looking over the many buildings and skyscrappers that riddle the streets. Within seconds his gaze lands on one building in particular, CatCo; after a few seconds his gaze drifted to another building, unlike the previous, this one seemed like any other, but he knew better. He raises his hand up to the cowl and pressing the hidden button on the left side of his temple. This in turn, caused his lens to zoom in an incredible distance, allowing him to spy inside the building.

He watched people dressed in black, government issued shirts and pants. To the left were some people decked from head to toe in tactical gear, being prepped and prepared to move out. Eventually he gazed up on the catwalk, where he spotted two familiar faces standing there, talking. For most it would be impossible to know what they were saying to one another from that far away; but unlike most people, Batman had learned to read lips.

He watched their lips carfully and found that their conversation was that of a personal natural. Part of him felt a slight ping of guilt for eavesdropping, but he continued regardless, until he heard a beep coming from his left guantlet. After lowering his pair of binoculars, he looked over and pressed a button on his guantlet which flipped open the graphene cover and showed a message screen. On the screen was a message from Detective Sawyer or more specifically, the phone that he gave her to use.

 _B-Man1487: Where are you?_

 _Det. : With Alex at the DEO, still haven't located Croc's location yet...Any luck on your end?_

Without much hesitation he quickly typed on the miniturized touchpad keyboard his response.

 _B-Man1487: I have a lead on the connection between Jone's and Cadmus. Meet you somewhere private._

 _Det. : Can't exactly get away at the moment, but I'll see what I can do, til then watch your back out there._

 _B-Man1487: Always._

He closed the cover and refocused his attention to the task at hand; that is when he heard light footsteps behind him. Instincts took over as he quickly retrieved a collasped batarang from his belt, flipped it open and turned. Once he saw who it was walking towards him he relaxed a bit and quickly put away both the batarang and binoculars before greeting the man.

 **Mysterious Voice** : *Amused tone* "I thought I heard a bat flapping around in my belfry."

 **Batman** : *growling-tone* "Father Michael," (Thanks to the cowl, he was able to hide the embarassment that was washing over him at this moment.)

 **Father Michael** : *grinning* "I see that you haven't lost your flair for the dramatics." (He walked closer to the Dark Knight, taking a place beside him. The grin was quickly replaced with a smile.) "Good to see you again my son. It's been a long time." (He holds out a hand in a greeting manner.)

 **Batman** : (Takes the priest's hand firmly, but gently and shakes it, though he does not share a smile.) "Yes, it has. Last I heard you were at the Vatican, taking a teaching position."

 **Father Michael** : (Gives a amused look as the two retrieve their hands.) "Keeping tabs on me are we?"

 **Batman** : "You could say that. How have you been?" (His tone was flat, not even a hint of emotion in his voice, leaving only the growly tone.)

 **Father Michael** : *chuckles a bit* *jokingly states* "Old, but...that's to be expected." (Gestures towards Batman.) "New suit?"

 **Batman** : *grins* "Something like that."

 **Father Michael** : *nods in agreement* "Well, it suits you...no pun intended."

The Dark Knight watched as the elderly priest leaned against the stone railing, looking out into the buzzing city. A moment of silence seeped in between them as they gazed out at the bright lights, listening to the sound of wind blowing past.

 **Father Michael** : *musing tone* "Now then, I know that you didn't fly all this way from Gotham just to confess your sins, so..."

 **Batman** : *emotionless tone* "I'm here tracking down an Blackgate escapee."

 **Father Michael** : *curious tone* "Is that right? Hmm, anyone I know?"

 **Batman** : "Waylon Jones."

 **Father Michael** : (His expression quickly changed, from musing to stunned; recognizing the nortorious name.) "Waylon Jones... now that is a name that's hard to forget. What was it the Gazette called him again?"

 **Batman** : "Killer Croc."

 **Father Michael** : "Ahh yes, that's right. *mumbles* Killer Croc." (Looks out into the city, staring at the buildings and the lights which riddled the city as he remincsed about his sessions with Jones all those years back.) "You've had quite the run-in with him over the years and yet," (Turns to Batman.) "This time seems different."

 **Batman** : "There's evidence that Cadmus is responsible for Jones' escape from Blackgate and that they did...something to him." (There was hint of distaste in his tone.)

(Father Michael, at times, seemed all-knowing, mainly because before he joined the priesthood he was a ranger in the Army during the Vietnam War. He saw many horrendous acts, some performed by those he called friends; there were even a few occasions when he was ordered to torture a prisoner, sometimes for information other times just because he was ordered to. When he returned back home after the war, he couldn't bare to face what he had done, but instead of going down a darker path he found himself on another.

Since then he has tried his best to help those more desperate, lost souls and in Gotham they were abundant. Nearly 40 years later and he is still surprised by some of the more heinous acts that mankind has done to one another; especially when it comes to acts performed by Cadmus. Though very few aliens come to his sermons, he still hear's the rumors and tales of survival from those who have actually survived the experiments that Cadmus performed on them.

With this, it was no wonder why Batman seemed so disgusted towards Cadmus, but Father Michael knew that there was more to it than just that.)

 **Father Michael** : "Its more than that, I can see it in plastered all over your scowl. You blame yourself for what Cadmus has done to him, right?"

 **Batman** : (Turns and looks at Father Michael.) "I was the one who recommended to Gordan and the Mayor that he be transfered from Arkham to Blackgate. I shouldv'e dug deeper into Blackgate; their files, their personel...if I had done that then maybe-"

 **Father Michael** : *interjects* "Maybe you could've prevented this? Prevented Cadmus from getting their claws into Jones? That it?" (The two stare at one another, until Michael gently places his hand on Batman's shoulder.) "Despite everything, all your skills, all your preparations you cannot protect everyone. You are not responsible for the actions of others, especially Cadmus."

(Batman knew this of course, mainly because everyone close to him, Dick, Alfred, Gordan, Clark; all of these people have stated at one time or another that he needs to quit blaming himself for those he cannot protect. But its this guilt that drives him to keep fighting, to keep pushing himself to his limits and beyond, so that the next time he won't fail.

Suddenly, a beeping noise coming from his cowl broke him from his thoughts; he pressed a button hidden within the cowl, connecting his comms to a private line.)

 **Batman** : (Talking into the earpiece hidden inside the cowl.) "Go..."

 _ **Mysterious**_

 _ **Person**_ _: "Hey its me, but I guess you already knew that huh?"_

 **Batman** : "Did you find something Sawyer?"

 _ **Maggie Sawyer**_ _: "Something like that...Listen, J'onn has tactical units searching areas of interest where Croc might be hiding out._ "

 **Batman** : "I figured as much. I spotted a few of these units while scouring the city."

 _ **Maggie Sawyer**_ _: "Yeah well...his people are stretched pretty thin, which is why he sent Mon-El and Guardian a few locations."_

 **Batman** : "And?"

 _ **Maggie Sawyer**_ _: "And, they just missed their last check in, which was 4 minutes ago."_

 **Batman** : "Send me their location,"

 _ **Maggie Sawyer**_ _: "Already did, you should be getting it now, also...you should know that J'onn and Supergirl are already on their way."_

 **Batman** : "Understood. Thanks for the intel."

 _ **Maggie Sawyer**_ _: "No prob. Also...be careful."_

 **Batman** : "Always." (Clicks off the comms, then turns to Father Michael.) "I have to go."

 **Father Michael** : (Smiles a bit.) "I figured. Just do an old man a favor will you?" (Batman simply nodded in response.) "Come see me before you leave town, I'd like to catch up."

 **Batman** : *smirks* "No prob."

(He turned away and towards the city; he retrieved his grapnel gun and aims it at the nearest building tall enough to give him a good enough launch. When the claw reaches the top of the building, piercing through the sturdy metal frame, he presses and holds the secondary button on the side. Less than a second later, he is pulled from the ledge and launches up into the air, where he opened his cape and used it to glide out of sight.

Meanwhile, Father Michael watched on until the Knight of Gotham was out of sight.)

 **Father Michael** : *mumbles to himself* "Be safe, and God speed, my son."

 **2 Minutes later**

 **Abandoned Office building**

 **Batman**

It was a little under 2 minutes when he arrived at the last known location of Mon-E and the Guardian. There were several rooftops that he could have landed on, but only one was high enough and had a better view of the building and surrounding area. After a smooth landing, he perched on the edge of the rooftop and started scanning the scene using his telescopic lens. It didn't take him long to spot the black-paneled van parked outside the building.

 _No plates, reflective paneling, bulletproof tires and windows, tinted windows... Standard government issued, my guess it was loaned out to Olsen and this Mon-El, by the DEO._

His gaze soon drifted to the building next to the van, checking the dust covered windows, looking for a stealthy approach when suddenly a set of windows on the 4th floor shatters and the wall explodes. Among the debris and glass something heavy lands ontop of the van, causing the roof to collaspe inward. Batman zooms in and spots a man, mid-20's, dark hair and wearing a tactical outfit much like that of an DEO agent.

This mysterious man slowly sits up, shakes his head and leaps off the roof of the car and onto sturdier ground.

 _Hmm, he matches the description of the Daxamite that Supergirl has been training for the last few months, Mon-El; at least according to J'onn's report. Side note: Tell J'onn that he needs to upgrade his security software..._

Batman watched as Mon-El, quickly brushed off the dust and glass from his shoulders before looking up to the newly formed hole on the 4th floor. In less than a second Mon-El squated down and leapted back into the hole that he was thrown out of. As the fight took place within the building and out of sight of Batman's view; he could hear the sounds of battle, of things being smashed and loud crashing sounds. Suddenly, an instense blood-thirsty roar rang out from within, and it made even the Dark Knight's blood run cold.

During the roar, another wall exploded outward, this time on the 2nd floor and once again Mon-El came flying out of the building, hitting the concrete. The Daxamite struggled to get to his feet, looking exhausted from whatever he was fighting. It was at this point that Batman decided to act, but before he could he heard a familiar whoosing sound from overhead.

Two people land beside Mon-El, two that Batman recognized all too well; J'onn J'onnz, The Martian Manhunter and Kara Zor-El, Supergirl. Most would assume that with their combined strength and might, the would could easily take down whatever threat they were facing. Yet, Batman remained cautious and reserved, remembering exactly what he found out about the experiments done to Waylon Jones.

He continued watching as J'onn and Supergirl talk to the exhausted Mon-El, but their conversation was cut short by yet another bood-curdling roar. Supergirl seemed unimpressed, at least according to her stance; she shouted "GIVE UP AND COME QUIETLY. NO ONE HAS TO GET-" she paused as she saw a giant hand come forth from the shadows, one covered in massive scales and big enough to encompass most of her body. It grips the side of the building and soon the creature which Mon-El had been so valiantly fighting stepped forth, showing all his true form.

As Batman gazed at the creature once known as Waylon Jones standing in front of the three, towering over them; he knew that his concerns were warrented and that he could no longer sit idle. Though she hid it well, the Girl of Steel was taken back by this oversized creature standing before her. Still, she pushed the fear down deep and pushed forward, hovering up just enough to where she now towered over him. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way." she stated with a confident tone.

 _This won't end well..._

Jones seemed like he was ignoring her ultimatium, as he stood there and let out yet another roar. Supergirl hover there, scoffing as she said, "Have it your way big boy." She threw a punch, one strong enough to make even Superman stumble a bit, but Jones just stood there. Jones seemed unfazed by her inital hit, which flustered her for a second or two; she quickly re-gained focus and threw another punch only this time it was caught by Jones own over-sized hand.

Though surprised, she threw another punch at him only to have it caught as well. Jones leaned in close, snarling at the Girl of Steel, who was staring into the face of a monster, one that was giving her a crooked smile.

 **Supergirl:** *gulps heavily* *mumbles nervously* "Oh, boy..."

 _That's my queue..._


	6. Of Gods and Monsters

**Author's Note:** **Hey ladies and gents, first off I'd like to thank all you who have followed this story since the beginning, I really appreciate who have grown to like the story. Now, some you have either sent me PM's or left in the comments section certain questions which I would like to answer right from the get-go.**

 **1.** **Batman's voice** **: Many have asked if the Batman/Bruce in this story is using Bale's voice or Affleck's voice and the answer is...neither. Now, canon to this story, though he does rely on gadgets and tech, he has had intense training in many forms including how to disguise his voice without the use of a distorter like on the show Arrow. So I hope that answers that.**

 **2.** **Batsuit** **: Now again, this being a customized version of the character, his suit is more reminiscent of the comics rather than the Bale suit or Affleck suit. Here is a link to my DeviantArt page for a better look at the character as I see him in this story. newest/?section= &global=1&q=JMcFuzzy**

 **3.** **So much hate towards James** **: Okay now, I don't know whether its the character himself or how he is portrayed on the show or if its just the guy playing him but...at one point in time someone, somewhere has either commented or PM'd me, asking if Batman is either going to have a stern talk with James about his vigilante activities or if he will just flat out whoop the SH*T outta him. Now...I for one don't really have a problem with the character, or the guy who plays him on Supergirl.**

 **Do I think it kinda out of the blue that James all of a sudden wants to be a superhero...yes, but to answer this particular question; Batman and Guardian will have a serious talk about his evening activites. Other than that you'll just have to wait and stay tuned.**

 **4.** **Bruce/Batman-Lena Luthor** **: This is a question that Chaos Sorcerer from the comments has asked about and I've decided to answer, since he or she in particular has been following the story since thr beginning. In regards to this story Lena has known Bruce since they were children, but barely stayed in touch after his parent's death. She does not know that he's Batman. With that Lena will come face to face with the Dark Knight, that much I guarantee though in what capacity well...you'll just have to wait and see.**

 **THX.**

Kara lays on the cold, wet pavement; slowly her eyes flutter open, but only to find everything was blurry, out of focus. She laid there for a few more seconds before slowly pushing herself up off the pavement; grunting and groaning as her entire body screeches out in numbing pain. When she first got to her feet, she felt a bit off balanced but managed to quickly recover. As her vision started to clear she quickly glanced around at her surroundings. The warehouse to her right had a huge hole in the side of it near the top floor as did the roof.

Confusion struck her like an arrow as she continued to glance around; eventually her gaze landed on J'onn, who was laying on the ground in Martian form, barely moving. Confusion soon gave way to concern, but as she took a step forward a sudden numbing pain started pounding against her chest. It was enough to make her stagger and yet she pushed through it, making her way over to J'onn.

Once there she knelt down and checked his vitals; aside from some bruises which covered his face he seemed to be alright. Suddenly a crashinig sound from behind caught her attention, and she turned around in time to see Mon-El flying through a brick wall and into the side of a black paneled van with enough force to scoot it a few feet. In the blink of an eye she rushed over to, but was stopped just a few steps away as something punched her in the side of her face with enough force that it caused her to drop to her knees.

Less than a second later she felt something pull on her cape and fling into the building that Mon-El was thrown out of earlier. She crashed through a few floors before landing face-down on the 4th floor. She managed to get to her feet once more just in time to see something crash through the building and attack her. Whoever it was is managing to keep her off-balance and giving her very little time to recover.

She managed to block or avoid the flurry of heavy punches; when she saw an opening she threw a punch, one which connected, but when she went for another, she felt something wrap around her arm. Once more she found herself flying through a wall and back outside where she once again found herself laying on the pavement. After a few grunts and groans she managed to roll over onto her stomach and once more push herself off the pavement. She managed to get to her knees when her assailant leaped out of the building, landing on top of the van, crushing the roof and the van inward.

Kara's head was still pounding, when the assailant jumped off of the van and started making his way over to her. Each footstep sounded like a boulder being dropped onto the pavement, which only grew louder the closer he came to her. He stopped mere inches from her, staring at the hero crouching before him. It was mere seconds later that her vision started to clear and she saw those enormous scale-covered feet.

She looked away momentarily as she pushed herself up until she was standing. Though she was still a bit dazed from the sneak attack, she quickly regained her composure and glanced back over at her assailant. Her eyes narrowed as she met the fierce creatures pale-yellow gaze. Turning her body fully towards him, her fists clenched tightly as the two stared each other down; niether refusing to flinch or look away.

As the fog lifted from her mind, she remembered why she was here and what she had to do.

 **Supergirl:** *fierce tone* "Is that all you got?!"

The attacker made one fatal error, thought the Girl of Steel. He should have stayed in Gotham...

 **Minutes Earlier**

 **DEO Headquarters**

It was the 4th cup of coffee that he guzzled down in just as many hours, all the while anxiously sitting at his terminal, typing away. Maggie stood off to his left while Alex stood off to his right; both anxiously staring at the giant monitor fixed on the wall opposite. On the monitor was a live satellite feed of an old fish packing warehouse; the terminal in front of Winn had various smaller screens plastered across it, each one having a different video feed.

Earlier, Winn had zoomed, giving all who could see a better look; thanks to thermal imaging the three could make out the massive 12 man unit surrounding the building.

 **Alex:** (Stands to the right of Winn and leans in, staring at the terminal in front of them. She presses the button on the side of her earpiece, allowing her to speak to the team in the field.) "Unit 4, comm check..."

 **Unit Leader:** _"We're reading you five by five Alpha 1."_ (Alex, Maggie, and Winn watch as the team line up for entry.) _"Everyone is in postion Alpha 1, are we a go/no go on entry?"_

 **Alex** : (Stands away from the terminal and looks up at the monitor.) "You have a green light...remember the fugitive is considered armed and extremely dangerous...proceed with caution Unit 4."

 **Unit Leader:** _"Roger that ma'am. Okay team, breach on my go. 3...2...1...GO!"_

As the unit breached the plant the comms became overwhelmed with hectic sounds; everything from flashbangs, to glass breaking, even the occasional door being kicked in. Everything seemed to freeze around Alex as she focused squarely on the action taking place on the monitor. She listened as the unit members spoke over the radio to one another and after a few minutes they gave the all clear.

 **Unit Leader:** _"Unit 4 to Alpha 1 site is clear repeat site is clear. There's no sign that he was ever here."_

 **Alex:** (Though it was dissappointing news to hear, part of her was relieved.) "Roger, Unit 4. Gather your team and meet up with Unit 1 at site 7. Its the last site left to check."

 **Unit Leader:** _"Understood ma'am. We're 7 minutes out; we'll radio in when we make contact with Unit 1, over."_

 **Alex:** "Roger that. Good luck Unit 4. Alpha 1 out."

Alex lets out a sigh before removing her earpiece and placing it down, next to the keyboard that Winn was using moments earlier. After, she gently squeezed the bridge of her nose as she tried to figure out their next move. A few seconds later she looked back at the monitor; giving a look of disdain.

 **Alex:** "We're missing something...but what?"

Seconds later the three are joined by Kara and J'onn; both of whom are eager to hear their report.

 **J'onn:** "Did Unit 4 find anything at site 6?"

 **Alex:** (Shakes her head.) "No sir. The site was a bust and there was no sign the Jones was ever there or had even stepped foot inside."

 **Maggie:** "We're batting 0 and 12 here."

J'onn glanced up at the monitor for a brief second before turning his attention to the resident genius.

 **J'onn:** "Agent Schott..."

 **Winn:** *nervous/defensive tone* "Hey now, don't blame the tech guy, okay. All I did was create a custom-based search algorithm around the profile that, Maggie's friend gave us, okay." (Turns in his chair and looks at Maggie.) "Maybe your pal left something out of the profile or...maybe its not complete."

 **Maggie:** (Shakes her head while crossing her arms in front of her chest.) "No, he's very meticulous when it comes to stuff like this, trust me."

 **Alex:** *reassuring tone* "We do trust you its just..." (Quickly glances around at everyone before returning her gaze to Maggie.) "None of us really know him or what he's capable of-"

 **Kara:** *retorts sarcastically* "Not all of us apparently..."

Everyone's gaze and attention was now on Kara, who looked at each one of them somewhat flustered by their questioning stares. But before she could explain Winn's phone started to beep. He turned around and swiped across the screen; it was an alert that he set up a while back, one that he had hoped would never be used.

 **Winn:** *nervous tone* "Umm guys...I think we might have a problem."

 **J'onn:** "What kind of problem Agent Schott?"

 **Winn:** (He started typing on the keyboard in front of him and brought up the alert that was on his phone; at the same time he started explaining.) "Its uhh...Guardian and Mon-El have missed their check in."

 **J'onn:** (Looks down at his watch and noticed the time, but more importantly that James and Mon-El were 8 minutes late for their check in; which concerned him.) "Schott's right. They should've checked in by now."

 **Winn:** (Turns around in his chair, and looks at the Director.) "I can send a Unit to their location."

 **J'onn:** "No...the nearest unit is 12 minutes out. It'd be faster if I checked on them. What's they're location?"

 **Winn:** "Umm...1054 Industrial Parkway."

 **Kara:** "I go with you, I mean... there's not much I can do here."

J'onn thought about it for a moment, thinking that James and Mon-El simply lost track of time and forgot to check in. Then again, knowing what, who it is that they're dealing with he wasn't about to take any chances.

 **J'onn:** "Could always use the company." (Looks back at Alex, who was awaiting her orders.) "You're in charge until I get back."

 **Alex:** (Nodded in agreement of her orders.) "Understood sir."

With that the two turned and walked around the circular table and up towards the balcony. There, the pair knelt down slightly before shooting up into the air and off towards the Parkway. Alex turned back to the monitor in front of Winn and leaned inward. Meanwhile Maggie slowly snuck off, which didn't go un-noticed by Alex who watched as the Detective slipped off into one of the vacant rooms. Once she was satisfied that she was indeed alone she reached into her inner jacket pocket and retrieved the encrypted communicater from her jacket and turned it on. Once activated she pressed it against her ear and waited.

 **Maggie:** "Hey it's me, but I guess you already knew that huh?"

 **2 minutes later**

 **1054 Industrial Parkway**

J'onn and Kara soared through the night sky at near blinding speeds; each second that past only made Kara more anixous and worried for her friend James and Mon-El, the man who stole her heart. A little over 2 minutes later they arrived in the area that James and Mon-El were last, then suddenly they stopped and hovered for a few seconds. Just as Kara was about to use her x-ray vision to scan the buildings, loud crashing sounds echoing from one of the abandoned buildings below caught her and J'onn's attention.

The two quickly glance at each other before turning back to the scene, just in time to see the wall explode outward and someone launching out with the debris. As the mysterious figure slams and rolls on the pavement, Kara used her telescopic vision to zoom in; it wasn't difficult for her to make out the figures' face, and when she did her eyes widened...

 **Supergirl:** *gasps* "Mon-El..."

Before J'onn could say a word, Kara quickly flew onto the scene, leaving the Martian with little choice but to follow her. They landed close to Mon-El, who had just gotten to his feet, but quickly began to stumble as he tried his best to maintain his balance.

 **Mon-El:** *panting* "Kara...fancy meeting you here." (He gives the Girl of Steel a sly smile, just before he loses his balance and nearly tumbles over.)

 **Supergirl:** (She quickly grabs him and holds him up. With J'onn's help they help him keep his balance.) "Mon-El, what happened; who did this?"

 **Mon-El:** (Takes a quick second to catch his breath and regain his bearings before answering.) "I don't know, I was too busy getting my ass kicked to get a good look. Whoever it is...*panting* he's big...and really pissed off."

 **J'onn:** (He quickly glanced around, as if looking for something or someone...) "Where's Olsen?"

 **Mon-El:** (He looked back at the building.) *breathes heavily* "He's still inside..."

Kara and J'onn both looked at Mon-El, each one sporting their own worried looks. Their attention was soon drawn back to the building when a blood curdling roar echoed from within. While J'onn and Mon-El seemed hesistant, Kara refused to let herself be intimidated.

 **Supergirl:** (Takes a step forward and yells into the dark gaping hole in the wall.) "GIVE UP AND COME QUIETLY...NO ONE HAS TO GET-"

Her speech was cut short when she saw something moving inside, within the darkness. She used her x-ray vision to scan inside, but when she saw the massive structure of the assailant she quickly began to regret it. More so when she saw a giant hand come forth from the shadows, gripping the edge of the hole. She was taken back by the size of it, which looked like it could encompass her entire torso, arms included.

The situation only grew worse from there when the owner of the hand emerged, stepping out of the shadows and into the moon's full pale light. Kara's eyes remained wide as she slowly scanned the ferocious looking creature standing before her. Mon-El seemed just as surprised if not more so, while J'onn tried to remain calm as he studied the creature.

This thing looked completly different from the profile pic that Maggie's "friend" had given them. No, this being easily stood a good 3 to 4 feet as it towered over them. Its form was massive, not just his hands, feet and body, but his tail as well; which looked more like a swinging tree trunk than anything. His entire body, head-to-toe, was covered in grey-ish green scales. Its fingertips formed razor-like talons while small spikes pretruded up the sides of his arm.

Finally, his face showed no human features whatsoever, even its eyes looked more rabid animal than that of a human. Everyone's eyes fixated for a moment on the creature's massive jowls which extended out from his face. When it snarled at them, it revealed its shark-like teeth hidden beneath. J'onn had never faced a creature so terrifying in form and was surprised that Mon-El managed to fend off the creature for as long as he did.

He knew that even with Kara's help, this would still be a tough fight, especially with Mon-El still recovering and Olsen being MIA. J'onn had wanted to radio in and inform Alex of the situation and hold off on engaging until backup arrived if possible, but Kara had other plans

 **Supergirl:** (Takes a few steps forward, staring up at the creature.) "We can do this the easy way or the hard way." (Despite the size of the creature, she was more than confident that the 3 of them could easily take this monster down.)

The creature stood there staring at the Kryptonian, then seconds later it took a step forward and let out a loud, bone-shaking roar, which caused J'onn and Mon-El to take a fighting stance. Meanwhile, Kara stood there unimpressed, staring up into the creatures eyes before hovering level.

 **Supergirl:** *scoffs* "Have it your way,"

One punch to the face would send most aliens or meta's flying through the air, or at least stumble; instead Jones just stood there, unfazed, staring at the Girl of Steel. Seeing this of course surprised, so she decided to throw another punch, only to have it caught in Jones' grip. Again, she was surprised, but re-gained her focus and threw another punch with her other hand only to have that caught as well.

Her surprise quickly gave way to shock and confusion as Jones stretched out her arms; she groaned when Jones gripped her fists, squeezing them tighter and tighter. Seconds later he leaned in close and snarled at Kara.

 **Supergirl:** *mumbles nervously* "Oh, boy..."

His snarl quickly changed to a sinister smile as he whispered to her.

 **Jones:** " _ **My turnnn...**_ "

Jones slowly tightens his grip around Kara's fists when out of the corner of his eye, he notices the Martian and the Daxamite leaping through the air towards him. Without hesitation, Jones quickly turned, jerking his massive tail and slammed it into their chests. Kara watched helplessly as J'onn and Mon-El went skidding across the pavement, smashing into a rundown old factory building. Kara's attention shifted back to Jones inhuman grip on her fists as she struggled to free herself. Just as she started to feel his grip loosen, Jones turned to her and using his incredible strength he tighten his hands around hers once more, which caused her to wince.

He then leaned in close, enough that his putrid breath filled her nostrils, nearly causing her to gag.

 **Killer Croc/Jones:** " _ **You...are...Cadmusss. Where are they!?**_ "

For a brief moment Kara stopped struggling and looked at the monstrous man in front of her.

 **Supergirl/Kara:** _Wait what? What is he...I would never, in a million years work alongside Cadmus or Lillan Luthor! He's the one working with Cadmus...right?_

Before she could get an answer, Jones leaned away.

 **Killer Croc/Jones:** *growls* " _ **WHERE IS CADMUSS!?**_ "

 **Supergirl/Kara:** (Staring into his deadly glare.) "I DON'T KNOW...I DON'T WORK FOR CADMUS!"

 **Killer Croc/Jones:** *bloodthirsty tone* " _ **YOU...LIE! HE...TOLD ME...**_ "

 **Supergirl/Kara:** _He? So...someone broke him out of the container in the shipping yard._ (Her curiousity for answers outweighed the urgency of getting herself free.) "Who!?"

 **Killer Croc/Jones:** " _ **HE SET ME FREEEE. HE SAVED ME...FROM CADMUS. YOU WORK FOR CADMUS...**_ "

 **Supergirl/Kara:** (Shook her head.) "No, I told you I-"

 **Killer Croc/Jones:** (He cuts her off, letting out a blood-curdling roar that sent a shiver up the Girl of Steel's spine.) " _ **STOP...LYING! YOU TELL ME...OR ELSE!**_ "

Suddenly, a shadowy figure leaps out from the gaping hole in the wall, slamming his shield into the back of Jones' neck. The force behind Guardians' hit was enough to cause Jones completely lose his grip on the Girl of Steel who quickly managed to free herself. As Jones reared back, he let out a roar more bloodthirsty than the last. Without warning, Jones quickly turned and swung his fist at the vigilante. Olsen managed to put his shield up in time to absorb the hit, but Jones' strength forced Olsen to drop to one knee.

His arm felt as if it was broken and probably was for all he knew; right now his entire body felt like it was made of glass and that one more hit would break him, possibly beyond repair. As Jones goes in for one final strike,

 **Supergirl/Kara:** "HEY!"

Jones pauses, turning his attention to Kara, who quickly swooped up, delivering a massive uppercut to his lower jowl which caused him to lose his footing and stumble. Not wasting another second Kara continued her attack, landing strike after strike to Jones' body and face in a flurry of punches. The last hit cause him stagger and drop to his knees before finally hitting the pavement. With the battle seemingly over and victory hers, Kara quickly turned and rushed over to the exhausted and bruised Olsen.

 **Kara:** "James!" (She rushed up to the loading dock and kneeled down next to her friend; gently placing a hand on his back while holding him with the other.) "James, are you okay?"

 **Guardian/Olsen:** *exhausted tone* "I've been better..." (With Kara's help, he was able to get to his feet.) "But, I'm good."

A sense of calm immediately rushed over her as she let out a sigh of relief; though James was clearly injured and needed some medical attention, he was alive and that's what counts. Suddenly, her thought fell upon J'onn and Mon-El; she turned to building that they were thrown into in time to see them slwoly making their way over. A smile crossed her lips as she gazed at J'onn then Mon-El who appeared just as happy to see her as she did him. Suddenly, Mon-El's expression changed quickly, from exstatic to fright.

 **Mon-El:** (Suddenly, his expression changed, quicker than a storm, from ecstatic to shock.) "KARA, BEHIND YOU!"

Confusion streaks across her face as she and Olsen turn to see Jones once more towering over her and Olsen. Kara noticed his eyes were filled with rage and looked more animal than ever before. Without warning, he backhands both Olsen and Kara, sending the latter flying into the already damaged van while Olsen was sent flying into the building beside them. Kara grunted and groaned as she started to pry herself from the van; while she was busy, Jones focused on the Martian and the Daxamite who had leapted in to attack.

Using his super-speed, Mon-El rushed the creature and landed a few hits before Jones grabbed him by the throat and lifting him into the air before letting go and punching him in the chest. Jones lets out a victorious roar as Mon-El flies through the air. J'onn leapt through the air, landed a devastating punch on Jones who reeled back. Kara had just freed herself from the van in time to see that Jones was bleeding. When Jones saw a drop of his blood hit the pavement, his mind went blank; his pupils dilate and his teeth grind as he slowly stands to his feet.

Kara took a step towards him, only to find herself feeling weak and a sudden pain coming from her brow. She touches her brow and sees red liquid soaking her fingertips.

 **Supergirl/Kara:** (Her eyes widen as she stares at the blood-stained fingertips.) *questioning mumble* "I'm...bleeding?"

She and J'onn exchange concerning looks before looking back at Jones, who rushed J'onn, attacking him with a combination of punches and swinging his tail. J'onn valiantly fended off Jones for a while, until Jones suckered punched him and he dropped to his knees. Kara took a few steps towards Jones when a sudden pain coursed through her mid-section, causing her to wince. Jones kicked J'onn in the chest, sending him skidding across the pavement.

Kara's sight started to blur as the pain continued to grow with each passing second.

 **Supergirl/Kara:** _What is happening to me? Why am I bleeding and...this pain. What-_

Suddenly, she dropped to her knees and fell to the pavement as everything started to go dark. Jones walked over to the beaten and exhausted J'onn and stomped his foot into the Martian's chest.

He slowly applied more and more weight to J'onns' chest, causing the sound of his ribs crackling to echo. Just as Jones was about to finish off the Martian, Mon-El rushes in, shoulder bashing Jones and knocking him off of J'onn. With Jones temporarily dazed, Mon-El leapt up, wrapping his arms around Jones' throat. The two grunted as Jone's struggled to shake off Mon-El, while the latter tried to hold on, delivering a few punches to the side and back of Jones' head.

The behemoth only became more enraged with each hit until finally, he had enough; he quickly crouched then jumped high into the air, soaring above the buildings. Mon-El glanced around, a mixture of confusion and panic washing over him as they seemed to hover there for a second. But, just as fast as they ascended upward they descended just as fast; only this time Jones angled himself to where he was facing the sky and Mon-El's back was facing towards the pavement.

 **Mon-El:** (Glances back at the pavement as it grows closer and upon seeing this, he soon realized what Jones was doing...and it wasn't good.) *begrudging tone* "Crap..."

The two slam into the pavement with enough force that it leaves a small crater. After a few seconds pass, Jones sits up and gets to his feet, then turns around and sees the Daxamite laying there, still concious, albeit just barely. Mon-El used every last ounce of strength he had left to sit up, unfortunately Jones grabbed him by the throat and once more lifted him into the air. Mon-El stared into the creatures eyes and saw nothing reminiscent of a human, only a bloodthirsty monster.

He struggled against Jones crushing grip on his throat while also fighting to get some air.

 **Mon-El:** *gasping for air* "I don't...suppose...that... we could... talk this out?"

Jones was not in a very humorous mood and instead proceeded to smash the Daxamite into the crater a few times, before throwing him through the wall of the building and belting out a bloodthirsty roar before leaping in after him.

 **Now**

 **Supergirl:** *fierce tone* "Is that all you got!?"

Despite the fierceness in her tone and the stern, confident demeanor, it was all a facade. Underneath it all, her entire body shouted out at her; a sharp pain stabbing her side as her head continuously pounded away without pause. Meanwhile, Waylon Jones stood there, snarling while his tail whipped behind him. When she stared into the behemoth's eyes, they seemed determined and cold. What little humanity was once behind those eyes could no longer be seen; only the beast, the animal, the monster existed now and it was intent on one thing...to kill.

Her eyes slowly drifted downward, towards Mon-El, laying beaten and unconcious on the cold pavement. Kara's gaze soon drifted, glancing behind her at the Martian also laying on the pavement behind her. She watched for a few seconds as his chest raised and lowered, part of her grateful that he was alive while the other was wishing that he would get up and help her fight. Soon her gaze returned to Jones, only to drift off towards the gaping hole in the building beside her.

James was inside, possibly unconcious, injured or worse; she cut off that thought before it even began, refusing to think about that, hoping for the best as she usually does. As her gaze settles on Jones one last time, a single never-ending thought kept replaying in her mind; for the first time since she started being Supergirl, she was truly alone. J'onn and Mon-El were both unconcious, James was somewhere in the building and likely unable to help.

She had no way to get in touch with her cousin and the closest backup available was her sister Alex and the other agents at the DEO, but they were, at best, 15 minutes away. Most in this situation would consider retreating in order to regroup, but the thought never even crossed her mind, not for a second. Instead, she pushed down the pain, clenched her fists, gritted her teeth and prepared for Jones' oncoming onslaught.

Jones growled at her defiance as he took a step forward; her muscles tensed, her hands started to shake, not from fear but from the rage that she was building up to use against him. Suddenly, as she stared through the behemoth, she noticed something; a shadow, clad in black, descending down towards Jones. At first, she thought it was a hallucination, but continued to watch as the shadow glided down.

The shadow impacted the back of Jones head, causing him to loose his footing, and shout out in annoyance. A second later the shadow leaps off and lands directly in front of Kara, who stands there; a mixture of shock, confusion and amazement plastered across her face. Her eyes widened as the mysterious figure slowly stands up in front of her, his black cape draping over his frame as he stared at her through reflective lenses. Though she had never seen him in person before, she recognized him from pictures from old Gotham Gazette articles.

 **Supergirl/Kara** : (Her eyes grow wide and her mouth gaps open a bit.) *shocked/confused tone* "Your...him...the-"

 **Killer Croc/Jones:** (Lets out a snarl as the figure turns around and glares at him.) *growls* " _ **BATMAN!?**_ "

Jones glare grew more ferocious as it became fixated on the Dark Knight, who slowly turned around and stared at the behemoth. Kara watched as Batman just stood there, motionless, never looking away from Jones, who continued to snarl at the Dark Knight. Unbeknownst to Kara or Jones, underneath his cape he had subtly pressed a hidden button on the buckle of his ultility belt. This in turn activated the small device that he planted on the back of Jones head just a few seconds prior.

As the device powered up, it made a whirling sound which caught both Kara and Jones' attention. Jones looked around curiously, then suddenly a massive surge of electricity began coursing throughout his body. With it, every muscle in his body was stricken with debilating pain, causing him to roar and thrash about. Kara continued watching, a mixture of amazement and confusion streaking across her face as she watches Jones drop to his knees.

 **Supergirl/Kara:** *confused tone* "How did-when did you-"

 **Batman:** (Interjects; responding to the task at hand instead of her rambligs.) "The device won't keep him down for long, so listen carefully..." (Kara's eyes widened as he quickly turns his head, just enough that she could make out the siloulette of his cowl.) "There is more to this than you realize..."

Suddenly a loud roar interrupted their conversation before he could explain any further. Their gaze turns back to Jones who, to Kara's surprise, is fighting against the surge; eventully he was able to tear the device off the back of his head, before crushing it in his hand. Kara watches as the pieces and remenants fell to the ground, then quickly looked back at Jones who lets out vicious roar.

 **Supergirl/Kara:** "Now what!?"

Batman lifts his right arm up from underneath the cape and presses a button on his guantlet. A blue-ish holo-screen appears over his guantlet with a flashing bat-symbol in the center and below a button with the word **Activiate**.

 **Supergirl/Kara:** _Wow, that's...is cool. Now I understand why Kal said "He always has the coolest toys."_

 **Batman:** "Plan B..."

His words snapped her away from her thoughts and back to the dire reality that the two faced.

 **Supergirl/Kara:** *curious tone* "What's plan B?"

He turned his head, once again just enough that Kara could see the silohette of his cowl. And she could swear that she saw him smirk, even if it was just for a second. Jones grew tired of waiting and let out a raging roar, during which Batman turned back to the holo-screen and tapped the **Activate** button. Less than a second later, the ground beneath Jones' feet exploded and he was engulfed in flames, concrete and debris.

The force of the explosion caused both Kara and Batman to stagger backwards, forcing both to use their capes to shield themselves from oncoming debris. Once the dust settled Kara lowered her cape, taking a second look at the scene. Jones was gone, no where to be found and for a second, she assumed the worst; the assumption being that this vigilante, this supposed hero from Gotham City just killed a man in front of her.

Too many questions filled her mind as she watched the Dark Knight walking over to where Jones was.

 **Supergirl/Kara:** *shocked/horrified tone* "Is he-did you just...kill him!?"

Batman stood over the spot, staring down at the ground for a few seconds before kneeling. Supergirl was getting furious, not just because he was activly ignoring her query, but for essentially killing a man in cold blood. Despite her injuries she started her march over to him, wanting answers.

 **Supergirl/Kara:** *irrate tone* "I don't know how you do things over in Gotham City but here..." (She stood next to him, her eyes and fury fixated on him.) "...we do not kill-"

Her words vanished the moment see looked to her right and down into the gaping hole which lead to an old and massive sewer drain.

 **Supergirl/Kara:** *mumbles* "people..."

She was suddenly stricken with confusion as she looked down at the raging water below.

 **Supergirl/Kara:** _Where did he...how..._ (Glances over at Batman who was beginning to stand up.) _He knew...somehow he knew about this and he-_

Her words seemed to drift from her mind as her vision suddenly began to blur once more, which is when she started to feel light-headed. She stumbled a bit, but felt someone gently grab her arm; looking down at the black mechanized guantlet, she traced it back to its owner's face, Batman's face.

 **Batman:** "Easy. Go slow. You probably have a concussion."

 **Supergirl/Kara:** (Though it made sense, given how light-headed and dizzy she felt, she quickly dismissed the theory.) *scoffs* "Yeah, no I don't get concussions..."

Shortly after speaking her legs began to weaken and she felt her entire body crumble down; Batman stepped in and grabbed her, slowly lowering her down to the pavement.

 **Supergirl/Kara:** (It felt like her head was spinning, a sensation that she's never felt before. She glanced up, staring into Batman's reflective gaze.) "I guess...I was wrong."

Those were her last words before she dropped her head against Batman's chest and blacking out. He looked at her for a moment as she rested against the symbol on his chest, before slowly lowering her down to the pavement. Gently, he placed her head on the pavement, before pressing the hidden button on the side of his cowl.

 **Batman:** "Detective Sawyer...I need you to send an RRS unit to Guardian and Mon-El's location, now."

 **Author's note:** **Alright ladies and gents that ends this chapter. So let me know what you think, I hope it was to your liking this story and how its progressing. Again, sorry that its taking me so long to write and post, hopefully I can post the newest chapter sooner rather than later. FYI, I will have Lena in the next chapter and I will have her meet Batman in some dramtic fashion. So until the next chapter, I'll see ya's L8r.**


	7. To Catch a Croc

**Author's Note:** **Sup guys and gals, how ya doing. Awesome. Great. Now, to start off w/ and I know that I say this alot, but thank each and every one of you who have read, followed, favorited, commented etc, on not just this story but my previous AOS (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) story as wel. THANK YOU! I really, really appreciate it. Okay so, its been brought to my attention that, though most of you really like or love this story, but at the same time feel that the level of detail (Mainly character tones during conversations and the like.) make it feel more like a screenplay than an actual story.**

 **Let's me explain. (And by explain I mean blame someone else entirely.) A friend and fellow FanFic writer was curious about my fic's so they took a look and...they liked it but thought that it needed more detail to flush out the story and suggested that I try writing it like a screenplay. Now...they told me that readers would like it more as it would give a more profound sense of realism. (Yeah I know right. They take a few college courses online and suddenly they think that they're Spielberg or something.)**

 **Anyways, I apologize for writing this way, (They just kept bugging me to do it and kept using big words like "Exsistential" and such. WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO!? THEY WOULDN'T LEAVE ME ALONE!? *clears throat* I degress.) and if it took away from the scene or story at all, again, I am sorry. But you should be happy to hear that I've decided to drop that style of writing all together. (SO TAKE THAT COLLEGE GIRL!)**

 **I will be going back to how I wrote before which will hopefully prevent any further disgruntled-ness. (Is that even a word...screw it.)**

 **P.S:** **I might've accidently (By accidently I mean on purpose.) drunk texted Kara Danvers, aka Supergirl... (I was completely sober.) saying that her sister Alex would look way hotter in the Supergirl outfit than her. (Yep, I did that.) I might've also said that despite being the Girl of Steel, she seemed awfully helpless without Mon-EL around. (Yea, not a smart move on my part.) So in retaliation she flew over to my apartment and burned it all to the ground.**

 **Not only that but she burned her brand in my yard before flying off (She totally went Super Ex-Girlfriend on me.). So as of right now, I own nothing, including these characters. Enjoy!**

 **DEO HQ**

 **Maggie:** "Theres a strike team about 10 minutes out, but we may have a problem..." (She paused for a few seconds, waiting for a response that never came; instead, all she heard was some noises, crashing sounds mostly. A mixture of confusion and concern flooded her thoughts.) "Batman? Are you there?"

Once more she waited and once more there was no response, only a mixture of sounds that she couldn't make heads or tails of. After taking a quick glance around her, making sure no DEO agents were near, she heading out towards the balcony; away from prying eyes.

 **Maggie:** (Opens one of the double glass doors and walks out onto the balcony. She spoke in a low tone, so that no wondering ears could hear.) "Hey can you hear me...Batman!?" (Suddenly, the line cuts out, leaving her standing there, staring at the encrypted phone.) *mutters* "Damnit..."

Immediately after turning off his comms, Batman turned his attention and focus back to the pile of debris before him. Once he reached the bottom of the pile, he grunted out his dissapointment, before taking a quick glance around the room once more. The fight between Waylon Jones and the two would-be heroes, Guardian and Mon-El, left the building in ruins and its structural integrity questionable at best.

Batman could sense that he was running out of time and that the building could come down any minute. Not wasting further time on this thought, he continued on to the other room, entering via a man-sized hole in the wall. The room was riddled with debris, much like the room before, and in the middle was a large pile of rubble which seemed to catch his attention. He walked over to the pile and carefully looked it over; there was a broken wooden beam sticking out of the pile, which he used as leverage to lift the pile up.

His muscles screamed out, but he ignored them, continuing to lift up the pile...

 **Batman:** _Damnit..._

Underneath was more debris and rubble and upon this discovery he quickly dropped the broken beam which caused the pile to drop back down to the floor.

 **Batman:** _Where the hell are you!?_

Before he could get an answer, he heard the distinct sound of wood splintering from above. Looking up, he heard the creaking of the ceiling growing louder and louder, then a crack appeared out of nowhere.

 **Batman:** _Shit..._

He spotted a door when he first entered the room a few feet from the pile; as the floor above came crashing through, he leapt forward through the open doorway and into the hall to safety. After taking a second to catch his breath, he glanced back behind him at the now rubble filled room.

 **Batman:** _No going back that way._

Suddenly, upon returning his glance, he noticed something off to his right; a quick stretch later he retrieved the object, holding it out in front of him.

 **Batman:** (He recognized the tungsten/steel reinforce shield in front of him, even with the bowling-bowl sized dent that riddled the center.) "Jimmy..." (So many questions riddled his mind and emotions; doubt, concern...fear. He chose to ignore all of these, pushing them to back of his mind until he knew for certain.) *glances left, then right* _Where the hell are you!?_

A rustling sound in the room in front of him caught his attention, and immediately upon peering into it he saw a body, clad in some sort of armor, laying face-down on the floor. Without hesitation, he tossed the shield aside and rushed into the room; he rolled the body over and stared into the Guardian's visor for a quick second before placing two fingers on his neck.

 **Batman:** _His pulse is faint, but steady..._ (The floor above creaked louder and louder with each passing second, which caught the Dark Knight's attention. As he looked up, a loud crashing sound followed.) _This room is compromised; we need to move!_

(He grabbed Olsen's right arm and holsted him up and over his left shoulder; his muscles went taunt under the combined weight of Olsen and his armor.) *strained mumble* "Jeez Jimmy..." (Once one his feet, w/ Olsen in tow, he made his way over to the doorway, just as the ceiling above started cracking and splintering.) "You really need...to lose some of this weight. paperboy."

The second that they crossed the thresehold the ceiling and walls of the room came crashing inward. Despite everything literally crashing down around him, the Dark Knight remained calm and focused as he turned right, heading down the hall. It was slow going, but he was making good time, that is until the floor above came crashing down mere inches in front of him.

 **Batman:** "Damn..." (His aggravation boiling to the surface.)

There was no other choice left but for him to turn around and head back the way he came. Grudgingly he turned around and headed back down the hall, trying to find another way out; suddenly his built-in earpiece started beeping, like an annoying gnat buzzing in his ear. He ignored it for the moment, until just a few feet down the hall, like before, the ceiling above came crashing down.

 **Batman:** "You've got to be kidding me..."

(Aggravation quickly turned to frustration as he looked from one pile of rubble and debris to the pile behind him; all the while the beeping from the earpiece continued beeping away until he quickly taps the right side of his cowl)

"What!?"

(He said in a border-line scolding tone as he quickly looked around for yet another route, spotting a closed door just a few feet from him.)

 **Maggie:** " _Oh, I'm sorry; did I catch you at a bad time?_ " (Hidden among her sarcasm was a hint of annoyance, for Batman shutting off his comms earlier.)

 **Batman:** (Approaches the door.) "Yeah, you could say that." (Less than a second later he kicked open the door and entered the room. He spotted a office desk leftover from the previous owner and began leaning Olsen against it.) "You need something?"

 **Maggie:** (She stood there, on the balcony of the DEO, listening to the sound of wood creaking and metal straining on the other end of the encrypted phone.) "What the hell is going on over there? Are you okay?"

(Like before, she waited for a response hearing only the faintest crackle of static before the line disconnects. Once again she looks at the phone, frustration splashed across her face as she stared at the phone.) *mumbles* "That is really starting piss me off..."

After shutting off his comms once again, he turned his attention and focus to the room, where he glanced at every inch of the room.

 **Batman:** _From what I can see, theres no structual damage. But there also seems to be no other doors, vents or windows._ (Raising his left hand, he taps a hidden button built into the cowl.)

This button activated a mode called "Detective Vision", which the Dark Knight orginally created for use of crimes scenes, but was serving another purpose here. He and friend, Lucius Fox, built these into the reflective lenses and acts much in the way of Superman or Supergirl's x-ray vision. It allowed him to see beneath the surface, as he slowly scanned the room, from right to to left.

When he glanced at the northern wall, he paused as the "Vision" revealed something hidden beneath the drywall. He approached the northern wall, glancing up and down.

 **Batman:** _Hmm...there's a massive absence beneath the drywall here._ (He quickly glances around the walls of the room, before returning his gaze to the northern wall.) _This wall is less structually sound than the others...Hmmm...time to improvise._

A small smirk creeped across his lips, fading just as quickly as he retrieved 3 small devices from his ultility belt. He kneeled down and placed said devices on the floor where he started piecing them together as quickly as possible. After a minute, the 3 devices now formed 1, looking like a modified injector gun. He removed a vial of blue-translucent gel and placed it in the receiver.

Once the vial clicked into place, he placed the barrel of the device against the bottom of the wall and squeezed the trigger. The gel foamed out the barrel in a steady stream as he formed an wide archway. As the archway neared completion, he used the last bit of gel in the middle, forming a bat symbol. With it completed, he moved across the room to Olsen, once again lifting him up and placing him over his left shoulder.

He turned, looking at the gel covered wall; his thumb sliding to the secondary button on the grip of the device and waited for a quick second before pressing it. This sent a wireless signal to the nano-filaments within the combustible gel, causing them to overheat and in turn, denotate the gel. The concussive force managed to blow out the wall, giving the Dark Knight and his unconcious friend a way to escape; unfortunately the explosion compromised the integrity of the room, causing debris from above to fall.

Batman quickly rushed over to the gaping hole and rushed outside, where he carried Olsen over to where he had left Kara laying on the pavement. He laid Olsen next to Kara seconds before the building came crumbling down, during which he used his cape to shield the 3 of them from the dust and debris. A few minutes later, after everything had settled a bit, he lowered his cape and looked at the now demolished building to his right.

Not allowing himself to rest, not even for a moment, he turned to Kara and Olsen, using his "DV" he scanned them for any possible internal damage. After a quick, but thorough examination, he tapped the right side of his cowl, activating his comms once more.

 **Batman:** "Detective-"

 **Maggie:** *interjects* "I swear, if you hang up one more time I'll-"

 **Batman:** *interjects* "I need you to place a medical team on stand by at the DEO."

 **Maggie:** "Okay, okay I'm on it...how bad is it?" (She quickly waked back into the DEO and started heading over towards Winn, who was standing in front of the holo-table, staring down at the tablet in his hands.)

 **Batman:** "They're lucky. Could have been worse. I'll explain later."

 **Maggie:** (Makes it over to Winn, tapping his shoulder.) "Winn, I need you to get medical on standby."

 **Winn:** (Gives her a confusing look, one that matches his tone.) "Umm, okay, but why-"

 **Maggie:** "No time to explain, just do it, okay?"

 **Winn:** (Raises one hand in utter defeat.) "Okay, okay..." (Turns and starts heading towards medical.)

 **Maggie:** (She turns her attention back to the conversation with Batman.) "Okay I got Winn on it. But there's another problem. Its Alex, she-"

 **Batman:** "I know Detective..."

His ears twinged under the cowl as he listened to the sound of the hammer of a gun cocking a few feet behind him.

 **Female voice:** "Do not move; or I will put you down!

He never liked being told what to do, especially if it was a waste of time, but he also didn't want to complicate things any further, and so he remained still, not moving an inch.

 **Maggie:** " _Oh crap...she's there isn't she?_ "

He chose not to reply, instead he focused on how to end this current situation peacfully. Meanwhile...

 **Female voice:** "Now, nice and slowly...stand up and put you hands above your head. Do it now." (Her tone demanded to be obeyed, which only made the situation more of a hassle.)

The Dark Knight remained still, not moving despite her demand to do otherwise; unbeknownst to the unrelenting agent, he had retrieved a small re-tractable device from the heel of his right boot, and held it firmly in his hand.

 **Female voice:** "Don't make me ask twice." (Her words seemed more like a veiled threat than a demand, as she cautiously took a few steps forward; her gun still trained on his back.)

 **Batman:** *distorted voice* "You're making a mistake."

(He rose to his feet, still clenching the device hidden device.) "I'm not your enemy here, Agent Danvers..."

(As he spoke he pressed a button on the device, turning the small compact device into a batarang.)

 **Alex Danvers:** (Her brow furrowed, as a mixture of shock and confusion washed over her.) "How the hell do you know my name?" (Seconds of silence passed, and the Mysterious figure remained silent; with no answer she tightened her grip on her pistol and shouted.) "Answer me!" (Her tone fierce and threatening.)

Before she could get an answer, Batman quickly turned around, throwing the batarang; his aim was precise, hitting the barrel of the pistol causing it to fly out of Alex's hands. Without a moment's hesitation she quickly drew her backup weapon from the back holster. Unfortunately, he was already on her by the time she aimed the gun, snatching away her backup weapon. Though it seemed that she was defenseless, she was anything but; quickly she swings her boot towards his head.

He grabs her ankle, stopping her boot mere inches from his face. The two stood there, staring, him assessing her and her just now realizing who it was standing in front of her.

 **Alex:** "Your...him." (Her shocked tone all but flooded her words.) "You-what-why are you here?" (It took her longer than expected to form a sentence as her mind flooded with ovewhelming emotion and questions.)

 **Batman:** (Slowly, he loosened his grip on her ankle until he let go altogether.) "I'm here for Jones."

 **Alex:** (She was still flustered, mainly by the fact that a supposed Urban Myth himself, Batman, was standing here before her. He handed her the pistol back, which she reluctantly took.) "Jones...Waylon Jones...where-" (Her focus soon returned to the task at hand, that is until she saw Supergirl, Kara, laying on the pavement.) "Kara!"

She nudge aside Batman and rushed to her adoptive sisters' side, dropping the pistol beside her sister before cradling Kara's head in her hands. First glance she noticed the cut above Kara's brow, as well as bruises starting to form on her left cheek. Inside, her emotions were a concoction of rage, shock and fear; she was so fixated on her sister that she failed to realize that Batman was hovering over her.

 **Alex:** (Looks up at Batman, fear washing over her face, anger in her tone.) "What happened, who-"

 **Batman:** *interjects* "It was Jones."

 **Alex:** (Glances back down at her sister, then over at Guardian beside her.) "Oh god..."

 **Batman:** "There's a strike team on its way. Stay with them." (He walked over to the giant gaping hole in the ground.)

 **Alex:** (Looks up, confused by what he said and what he was doing.) "What-where are you going?" (Gently she laid her sister's head down onto the pavement, before picking up her weapon and walking over; standing beside him.)

 **Batman:** (Looks down into the gaping hole, then retrieves a florescent glowstick from his belt, snpping it across his guantlet before throwing it down into the hole.) "I'm going after Jones."

 **Alex:** (If she wasn't confused before, she was now as she glanced down into the sewers below then back at him.) "No, we need to wait for backup."

 **Batman:** "I am backup." (Were his last words before he leapt into the hole and into the sewers below.)

She watched, both confused and amazed by how abrasive he was; leaping headlong into a possible trap, with no team, no backup. In her mind, he was either brave, foolish or crazy, perhaps a mixture of the three. A grunting noise from behind now caught her attention; being well-trained she, in one fluid motion, spun around aiming her gun at...

 **Alex:** (Exasperated tone.) "J'onn!" (She lowered her gun the second she realized who it was.)

 **J'onn:** (Slowly walked over and kneeled beside Kara and Olsen, all the while holding his side trying to focus on anything else but the pain.) "So...what did I miss?"

 **L-Corp**

 **8 minutes later...**

It was the third night in a row that she has had takeout, luckily she decided to switch it up from Chinese to Bilbo's Pizza, the best pizza this side of Metropolis; at least that's the slogan printed on the box. She had just finished her third slice not a minute earlier before continuing reviewing stock reports and other such documents. It was the one aspect that Lena Luthor, CEO of L-Corp, found exhausting and tedious, but needed to be done regardless. As she finished signing her signature on the bottom of one such report, she placed it in the finished pile she had started earlier and glanced over at the unfinished pile.

She was grateful that she was down to one last report, thinking that it would be an early night; suddenly a thought crossed her mind and she looked away from the report and grabbed her phone that was sitting beside her on the couch. As she scrolled through her contacts list, she stopped when she found who she was looking for and a smile crossed her lips as she tapped on the picture.

Afterwards she placed the phone against her ear as she reached for the last report and started looking over it.

 **Called Forwarded:** " _Hey this is Kara, I can't come to the phone right now but please leave your name and number and I promise that I will get back to you._ " (Followed by a beep.)

 **Lena Luthor:** (Still smiling.) "Hey Kara its me; I'm just calling to see if you were free for drinks later. If you are give me a call back-" (A loud crashing sound eminated from the streets below, drawing her attention away.) "What the hell..."

She stood up from the couch, phone in hand and still recording, she walked over to the balcony doors, sliding them open. Once on the balcony she looked down 40 stories to the street below, only to find the streets riddled with debris and cars flipped over. On top of that, she noticed that the crashing sound was eminating from downstairs, in the lobby.

 **Lena:** (Mouth gaps open as continued looking down at the streets below, completely forgetting about her call.) "My god..."

Suddenly, her office door opens, causing her to turn around, only to see her personel assistant standing in her office, looking confused and scared.

 **Lena:** (Walks back into her office, staring at the shaken assistant.) "Janus, what's going on? What's happening outside?"

 **Assistant:** (Shakes her head.) "I'm not sure ma'am, but security just ordered everyone out of the building, now."

Lena glanced back at the balcony, her mind riddled with questions, pondering what could be happening. She quelled these thoughts, at least for the moment, as she took her assistant by the wrist and the two rushed out of the office. After entering the white tiled hallway, they rushed over towards to a pair of elevator doors. Lena pressed the button and waited; after a minute she pressed the button multiple times trying to call the elevator only to find herself continuing to wait.

A few more seconds passed before she started looking around for another exit, which is when she found a door with a black sign etched with a white staircase in it.

 **Lena:** (Tired of waiting, she turns back to her anixous assistant.) "C'mon, we're taking the stairs." (Jerking her head slightly towards the door.)

Lena was the first to make to the door, pushing on the the bar and keeping it open until her assistant walked through. Once in the stairwell, they made their way down, the sound of their heels clanging against the metal steps echoing throughout. Around the 15th floor, the lights suddenly cut out, causing the emergency lighting to immediately turn on.

The two give one another curious looks, until suddenly the door behind them swings open. 7 L-Corp employees, mainly technicians and analysts, exited into the stairwell. The oldest one among them, a small asian man with salt and pepper flaked hair, stepped forward.

 **Technician:** "Ms. Luthor..." (His tone matching the confused look on his face.)

 **Lena:** "Mr. Carlson, right?" (He gives nods. She gives a subtle nod back before taking a quick glance at the group of people behind him.) "Is this everybody? Is anyone hurt?"

Despite being a Luthor, in name and blood, Lena had always been the complete opposite from her brother; both were smart, beyond smart, but Lex decided to use his genuis to serve his interest, whereas Lena chose to use hers to better serve the interest of the people. Her concern for others would be her downfall, at least that would be what her brother would say if he wasn't locked away, serving consecutive life-sentences.

In spite of being hurt on occasion, she saw the world with open eyes and open arms, refusing to let her brother and mother's insane and prejudical ideals define her, or what she was trying to build here.

 **Technician:** "No, no one is hurt Ms. Luthor-"

 **Lena:** "Lena please...Ms Luthor is...was my mother and besides...given our current circumstances I think we can drop the formalities." (She gives a small re-assuring smile.) "Follow me..."

 **Technician:** (Nods, subtly.) "Alright then..."

Lena subtly jerks her head, a signal for the others to follow her down the stairs, which they did. Everyone remained relatively calm as they slowly made their trek downward. That was the case, until they reached the 5th floor and could hear a commotion just a few floors down. It was a mixture of crashing sounds, screaming and something which sounded like a bloodthirsty roar.

Everyone, including Lena, paused briefly, giving one another concerning looks. Lena could see the fear washing over everyone's face, even she had to admit that she was feeling more than a little concerned, and yet she pushed forward, as did the other. When they reached the lobby door, they could hear a commotion coming from the inside.

Lena looked out the plated window, trying to see who or what was causing it, only to see people running towards the exits; all the while the commotion grew louder with each passing second. She glanced over at her assistant, then at everyone else; though it was just a glance, she could see the fear eminating from their eyes. The fear inside was growing, becoming almost too overwhelming to push down, yet she did so, choosing to remain strong, for them.

 **Lena:** (Pushes on the bar, forcing the door open where; afterwards she holds it open while quickly ushering everyone out.) "Alright everyone, quickly and carefully head towards the exit..."

There was little to no hesitation among them, only a sense of urgency as everyone rushed out of the stairwell and into the lobby. Only two remained behind, her assistant and the technician, waiting for the L-Corp CEO.

 **Lena:** (Glances into the stairwell, making sure that there was no other stragglers. A few seconds later she turns towards the two.) "You two, head towards the exit, go; I'm right behind you."

The assistant nodded and continued making her way to the exit while the technician remained, until Lena made her way over to him. As they made their way across the lobby, 2 L-Corp security guards suddenly fly across the room, smashing through a 5 inch plate-glass display with the L-Corp symbol etched into it.

Without a second thought, Lena and the technician rushed over to them, where they immediately check on both guards.

 **Technician:** "Ma'am! I can't feel a pulse."

 **Lena:** (She glances over, staring at the guard's face briefly, before having to look away. Gently, she places her fingers on the guard's neck...) "He has a pulse, but its faint." (She turns around, facing the technician.) "Mr. Carlson, I need you to go outside, and get help."

 **Technician:** (Starts shaking his head.) "Ma'am, I can't leave you-"

 **Lena:** (Interjects.) "There's no time to argue, now go!"

Despite his initial hesitation, he gave her a nod before heading towards the exit while Lena remained behind, trying to keep the guard stablized until help could arrive. During this, she remembered her phone, which was still in her hand. With everything going on she had completely forgot that she had it; she quickly tapped the screen, dialing 911.

 **Lena:** (Holds the phone against her ear, waiting. Finally she gets through.) "Hello, this is Lena Luthor, we have a situation down at L-Corp, we need-" (She pauses when she sees a shadow slowly rising, overshadowing her. Slowly she turned around.) "-help..." (Her eyes widen and mouth gaped.) *gasps* "Oh my god..."

 **Killer Croc:** " _ **He can't save you...noooo oooone cannnn.**_ "

 **DEO HQ**

 **27 minutes later**

Alex Danvers lets out a heavy sigh as she leaned against the railing inside the elevator, still in her tactical gear. Its been a long night she thought, unfortunately the night was still young and there was still much left to do. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, taking this brief moment alone to collect herself. She exhaled mere seconds before the elevator doors opened, were less than a second after stepping off she was greeted by Winn. With his tablet in hand, the two casually walked over to the central hub of the "war room".

 **Winn:** "How are they?" (The concerned look on his face bled into his words.)

 **Alex:** (They stopped briefly, her glancing around making sure no one was around to hear, before returning her gaze to Winn.) "Everyone's in medical, getting looked at. The doctor said that they took quite a beating, fighting Jones, but they'll pull through."

 **Alex:** (Winn nodded as did Alex, then the two continued walking over to the holo-table.) "Please, give me some good news..." (Her tone sounding more like a plea than a request, as they made their way to the central computer hub.)

 **Winn:** (Tilts his head a little to the left before letting out a small sigh.) "Unfortunately, the only news we have is all bad." (He taps the screen of his tablet, linking it to the holo-table in front of them.)

 **Alex:** (As Winn taps away on his tablet, she glances around looking for a familiar face, but not seeing them.) "Where's Maggie?"

 **Winn:** "Oh she uh...got a phone call from NCPD. L-Corp was attacked."

 **Alex:** (Her brow furrowed, as confusion suddenly struck.) "Attacked, what do you mean attacked? By who?"

 **Winn:** (Shook his head and shrugged before responding.) "She didn't say, she just ran right out of here and-" (A beeping noise from his tablet cut off what he was saying. As he looked at it, a confused look washed over his face.) "Okay that's-" (Glances up at Alex, before looking back at his tablet.) "Maggie just emailed me some photos and..."

After a few more taps, the images sent to him, 20 to be exact, appeared above the holo-table. Their eye were fixed on the images before them, a mixture of confusion and shock plastered across their faces.

 **Winn:** "Holy, crap..." (Every word spoke was drawn out.)

 **Alex:** (Leans in closer, trying to see every detail in the crime scene photos.) "It looks like a war-zone." (She glances over the photos and sees a set taken of the lobby.) "Pulls up these sets of photos here." (Points to them.)

Without a word Winn taps on the tablet, minimizing all images but the 5 that Alex asked for. They stared at these images, a mixture of confusion and shock plastered across their faces

 **Winn:** "I hope she has good insurance on the place."

As they continued staring at the images, Alex's phone in her back pocket starts to ring. She pulls it out and looks to see a image of Maggie smiling on the screen.

 **Alex:** (She glances up at Winn.) "Its Maggie." (He nods and she turns away, tapping the screen before answering.) "Hey what's...whoa whoa slow down, what? Damnit..."

 **Winn:** (Hearing the subtle hint of concern in her tone, he decided to speak up.) "What is it?"

 **Alex:** (Turns around.) "Lena Luthor's been taken..." (The concern in her tone is more prominent.)

Suddenly, without warning something smashed through the balcony doors, crashing onto the floor. Every agent turned around, their weapons drawn and aimed at the balcony, including Alex who took the lead, rushing over. She slowly approached, her weapon focused on whatever it was that crashed through. Her eyes widen and mouth gaped open when she saw them.

 **Alex:** "Uh, Mags...I think you can call off the hunt for Lena Luthor..."

Lena Luthor pushed herself off the floor, but instead of rushing over to the DEO agent, she rushed over to the man clad in black. She cautiously rolled him over on his back, revealing The Dark Knight, seemingly unconcious or worse... After looking him over, she looked up at the DEO agent, who was joined by Winn.

 **Lena:** "Don't just stand there...he needs help. Now!"

 **Author Notes:** **Sorry if the chapter seems a bit short and for the rambling at the beginning. Also I apologize for taking me this long to post a new chapter, but I couldn't really get inspired to write. So, I ended up having to force myself into it which I don't like to do, but I hope you still enjoy this chapter.**

 **With that in mind, I'm hoping to post at least another chapter or 2 before finishing the story. The next chapter we'll learn a bit more about the link between Cadmus and Killer Croc and a few other surprises that I have in store. Again, I hope you enjoy and feel free to leave a comment. L8r.**


	8. Moving forward, Never back

**Author's Note:** **Hey guys and gals how ya been. Yes I know its been a hot minute since I posted a chapter, but FEAR NOT! I have not forgotten, I just haven't been in the mood to write, not until I finished my side projects. Essentially I had to sit down and force myself to write a chapter, so if the flow of this chapter is a bit shaky I apologize, but it is what it is. Also this chapter consists of mostly flashbacks. I did this because I wanted to add some context to certain things or events to explain why and how things are the way they are. I hope you enjoy and check back with you at the end of the chapter.**

 **P.S:** **I do not own Kryptonite, or a super suit, nor do I own any DC characters from the show or in general. THX**

 _Several Months Eariler_

 _Blackgate Penitentuary - Gotham City_

 _After a few hours the rain had started to let up, swiftly changing from a mild downpour to a light drizzle. This was a welcomed reprieve, especially for the 8 heavily armed GCPD officers, who waited outside, in the courtyard of Blackgate Penitentuary; a maximum security facility built just on the outskirts of Gotham. Everything about this place is shrouded in mystery, from its staff down to its residents; even what goes on inside is a mystery to those outside its walls._

 _Regardless of this, the facility has wide-spread support from both the city of Gotham and the state itself, which is why these officers are here, waiting. A few of the officers appeared exhausted, leaning against the the two black SUV's, while others stood around, smoking cigarette's and chatting among themselves to pass the time. Despite their calm demeanor, every officer here was both anxious and restless; this included their CO, Captain Harkness, who leaned against the grill of the first SUV, waiting._

 _He glanced back at his men, watching them joke and gossip, before checking his AR-15. After pulling back the slide and checking inside the chamber, he flipped the safety off then on again, finishing his inspection. As Harkness adjusted his strap and swung the weapon off to his side; less than a second later he retrieved a flask that he had hidden away under his ballistic vest. After taking a few sips he placed it back under his bailistic vest, afterwhich he took a look around the yard, more specifically at the Blackgate guards riddled throughout._

 _He glanced from one guard to another, taking note of how they were eyeing him and his men; to be quite honest, the way that they stared at them made him uneasy, off balanced. His brow furrowed, as he continued to watching them, that is until his earpiece started beeping; he reached up and pressed it, listening the instructions coming through. After a few seconds, he turns to he subordinates..._

 _Capt. Harkness:_ _"Look alive boys and girls!"_

 _The chatty officers fell silent, quickly turning and staring at their CO who already had his weapon at the ready. The other officers followed suit, checking their weapons and flipping the safeties off just as the 10 inch thick steel gates started sliding open. Seconds after opening, an heavily armored transport van passed through and entered the courtyard. Once inside, the A.T.V backed up to a set of doors metal doors, above its frame was a sign that said Prisoner Transport Area._

 _After the vehicle parked, the passenger side door opened upon which the passenger, stepped out. The man, in his mid 40's, sporting a long brown trench coat and grey fedora, scanned around until he found Capt. Harkness, walking over towards him. As Harkness' men walked over to the A.T.V., Harkness himself stood in front of the man, who extended his hand out first._

 _Capt. Harkness:_ _"Gordan, 'bout damn time." (Smiles briefly, before taking the extended hand and shaking.)_

 _Gordan:_ _"Nice to see you too Jack."_

 _Capt. Harkness:_ _(Nods in agreement as he retrieves his hand.) "Yeah I bet." (Glances at the A.T.V. behind Gordan briefly before returning his gaze.) "So, that's him huh?"_

 _Gordon:_ _(Glances over is shoulder at the armored van.) "Yep, that's him all right." (Looks back at Harkness.) "All the paperwork has been pushed through. What about-"_

 _Capt. Harkness:_ _"We're all set here; just waiting on the warden..."_

 _Less than a second after, the sealed doors to the Prisoner Transfer Area open up. A man, mid to late 40's, bald sporting a cleaned-up mutton chop-do and wire-framed glasses steps out into the courtyard. Gordan looked the man up and down as he leisurely approached, taking note of how well kept the man was. The man had a badge clipped to the outside of his jacket pocket, one which had his picture and to the right of that picture a name._

 _?_ _: (Gives a sinister grin, one which fades just as quickly as it forms.) "Ahh, you must be Commisioner Gordan. Such a pleasure to finally meet you face to face. Allow me to introduce myself..." (Extends a hand out towards the stern-looking Gordan.) "Strange, Dr. Hugo Strange; I'm the overseer here."_

 _Gordan glanced down briefly at Stranges' extended hand before returning his gaze to the man himself. Despite his reservations towards this Hugo Strange fellow, he had his orders, orders to play nice with the good doctor; despite his own distaste he reluctantly took Stranges' hand and the two shook._

 _Gordan:_ _(Through gritted teeth, he spoke calmly.) "Pleasure, I'm sure." (After retreiving his hand, he gives the doctor a tentative look.) "So, you're the one responsible for all of this." (His words and tone made it more of a statement than a question.)_

 _Strange:_ _(His right brow raises as he stares knowingly at the Comissioner.) "Why...whatever are you referring to?"_

 _Gordan:_ _(Puts his hands in his pants pockets, while staring at Strange; annoyed with his coyness.) "Don't play games with me Strange. I've been a cop long enough to know when I'm being played."_

 _Strange:_ _(A slight smirk crosses his lips.) "Mr. Gordan - - -"_

 _Gordan:_ _(Quickly interjects.) "Commissioner Gordan. I believe that I've earned the rank and respect that comes with it."_

 _Strange:_ _(His upper lip twitched slightly to the right.) "My apologizes...Commissioner Gordan, I assure you that there is nothing foul going on here, nor am I playing any sort of game. I'm merely doing my part to insure justice is truly served; especially to those deemed criminally insane by law enforcement and...vigilantes alike. For the sake of Gotham City, of course."_

 _Gordan:_ _(Gives a knowing smirk.) "Right." (Leans in closer, towards the doctor.) "Is that how you convinced the City Council, Judge Keaton and Mayor West to authorize a transfer of one of the most dangerous criminals in all of Gotham, to your facility?"_

 _Strange:_ _(Gives a sinister smirk before walking up beside Gordan.) "On the contrary; I merely professed that my facility would be better suited for dealing with the likes of Gotham's so-called "Super Criminals" and they agreed wholeheartedly." (Turns back and walks over to the A.T.V.; he stops and glances over at said van.) "So Commissioner...if you are done with your interrogation..." (Turns to his side and glances sideways at Gordan and Capt. Harkness.) "Shall we begin..."_

 **Present Day**

 **DEO HQ**

Kara's eyes twitched every few seconds as she continued to lay there, as she continued to dream. She dreamt of Mon-El, laying next to her in her bed, smiling that perfect smile; from there it only grew worse, more terrifying when saw a hedious, monstrous creature towering over her. When she tried to speak, she found herself mute and when she tried to move she found herself seemingly frozen by terror, by fear. All she could do is watch as the creature reared back its massive claw-like hands and swipe at her.

It was then that her eyes fluttered open and for the first few seconds, everything seemed blurry, out of focus. After closing her eyes and opening them once more, everything seemed to clear. She looked around, confused, wondering why she was in the medical bay of the DEO. Slowly she sat up, swinging her legs over and letting them hang off the side of the bed. Her head was pounding, while a numbing pain ran up and down her left side. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and released it; when she opened her eyes again she looked up from the ground and saw something unexpected laying in the bed next to her.

 **Kara:** "James!" (She quickly stood up, only to find that the sudden movement caused the pain to change, from numbing to sharp. This caused her to yelp out, just as a familiar face walked in.)

 **Alex:** "Kara!" (She quickly rushed over to her sister, holding the Girl of Steel by both shoulders.) "Whoa, whoa easy there Kara, take it easy." (Kara slowly sat back down on the bed, while Alex stood in front of her, looking concerned but estatic at the same time.) "You shouldn't move around too much, especially since you're still recovering from that fight with Croc."

 **Kara:** (She looked away as she slowly remembered.) "Croc?" (Everything came rushing back to her at once and once more she grew frantic.) "Mon-El, J'onn, are they-"

 **Alex:** (Places a hand on her shoulder once more.) "They're fine. Aside from a few bumps and bruises they're fine."

 **Kara:** (Their was still fear and pain in her eyes, especially when she looked over at James once again.) "What about James? Is he..." (She couldn't bring herself to finish asking what she wanted.)

 **Alex:** (Kara's gaze stays fixed on James, as he lays in the bed; bandaged and unconcious.) "He took quite a beating, but he'll recover. He'll be fine Kara."

Kara didn't realize that she had been holding her breath, waiting for a hopeful answer until she slowly released it. She was grateful, but also upset at the same time; this was the reason why she wanted James to stop being the Guardian, out of fear of something like this happening to him and now that fear became a reality. After taking another breath, she pushed aside the conflicting emotions and re-focused her attention back on the mission at hand.

 **Alex:** (She looks at her sister, more specifically, the look of determination plastered all over her face.) "Don't even think about it sis'."

 **Kara:** (Looks up at Alex coy-ly.) "What?"

 **Alex:** "Don't "what" me, I know that look."

 **Kara:** (Slowly gets to her feet.) "Croc or Jones or...whoever he is needs to be stopped otherwise he'll just keep attacking and killing people. I can't let that happen, I won't. I-we need to stop him."

 **Alex:** (Crosses her arms in front of her chest as she stares down a clearly anixous Kara.) "And how exactly are you going to do that with 3 broken ribs and a concussion? Kara...whatever Cadmus did to him made him strong enough to take out Mon-El, J'onn, James and you; all at once. We can't go rushing in head first we...we need a plan."

 **Kara:** (She glances away, her gaze drifting back over to James which only seemed to filled her with a mixture of sadness and rage. After a brief moment, she looks back at her protective sister.) "So, what do you suggest we do? Wait?"

 **Alex:** (She lets out a soft sigh as she takes a seat next to her sister.) "For now yes. Until you and the others are fully recovered. In the meantime Maggie has most of Special Crimes out looking for Croc and Winn's coordinating everything from here. J'onn is also interviewing Lena, seeing if she knows-

 **Kara:** (She turns and shoots a confused look at Alex.) "Lena? What does she have to do with this?"

 **Alex:** "L-Corp was attacked, shortly after we brought you and the others in. It was Croc." (Seeing Kara's eyes widen, full of fear she quickly placed her hands on Kara's shoulders.) "She's fine I promise..." (She could see Kara take a few deep breath's as she slowly calmed down. Her eyes dart to the bed behind her.) "Thanks to him."

Kara's faced scrunched up as she slowly turned and looked behind her; once more her eyes widened, not expecting to see Batman laying there.

 **Kara:** (Quickly jerks back around, which aggravated the already numbing pain that she was fighting through. She ignored it as she once more shot a confused look at her sister.) *whispers* "What-how..."

 **Alex:** (She grinned while watching Kara flustering, trying to form a cohesive question.) "Its a long story..."

 _ **2 hours earlier**_

 _Most of the agents still had their guns drawn, as they stood there, dumbfounded as they stared at the urban myth himself, Batman; laying unconcious on the floor of the DEO, while senior agent Alex Danvers stood there staring, phone still pressed against her ear._

 _ **Alex:**_ _"Uhh babe, I gotta call you back."_

 _Upon ending her call she quickly rushed over to the Dark Knight while sliding the phone in her back pocket. She kneeled on the other side from Lena Luthor, who was also kneeling over him. Winn stood in front of the crowd of agents that had gathered, looking just as stunned and amazed. Alex cautiously placed one hand on his arm, the other on his neck; unable to check his pulse properly, she hovered her hand in front of his face, feeling faint, warm breathes against her skin._

 _ **Alex:**_ _(Glances at Lena.) "He's alive." (Turns her gaze from Lena over to Winn.) "Winn, a little help." (She looked away momentarily to focus on Batman. When the tech agent didn't answer, she glanced back up, only to see the young agent standing there, still staring at the barely moving Dark Knight.) "Agent Schott!" (Her tone was stern, commanding.)_

 _ **Winn:**_ _(Her words snapped him from his thoughts, as he looked over at her.) "Yes-um wha-what?" (Still in shock, he could barely find the words, much less form a cohesive sentence. Alex raises her brows and subtly jerks her head towards Batman; a subtle, silent command, for assistance.) "Yeah-yeah I got you-or him I mean."_

 _Winn rushed over, kneeling on the opposite side of Alex, afterwhich the two each hoisted Batman's arms behind their necks._

 _ **Alex:**_ _(Looks over at Winn, who in turn looks back.) "On 3. 1, 2...3."_

 _The two let out a straining grunt as they lifted the Dark Knight off the floor, while the rest of the DEO watched on in uncertainty and awe. Agent Vasquez stood among the other lost and confused agents, however; she managed to put aside the confusion as she holstered her weapon and turned to the group._

 _ **Agent Vasquez:**_ _"Alright people, make some room; c'mon make a hole!" (The authority laced in her voice snapped the curious agents from their dumbfounded trance; following the senior agents' order. She turned to Alex giving her a subtle nod and recieving one in return.)_

 _The group split apart, making a path for Alex, Winn and their two guests; as Alex and Winn moved through with Lena in tow, Agent Vasquez stayed behind, trying to get things back under control._

 _ **Agent Vasquez:**_ _(Some of the agents turned around, still looking a bit confused as to what's going.) "What're you all standing around for? We still got a Croc to catch so let's move people!" (With that the group slowly disbanded, going back to their duties that they were doing before.)_

 _Alex and Winn turned the corner, heading down the hall towards medical, but paused just ouside when J'onn exited into the hall. Despite the injuries that he suffered barely an hour earilier, he looked mostly well, aside from a few bruises and cuts that have yet to heal. He stood there, taking in the scene of Alex and Winn literally holding up Batman while Lena Luthor stood anixously behind them._

 _ **J'onn:**_ _(His brows knitted together as his gaze shifted from Batman to Alex; quickly jerking his head towards the room that he just left.) "Inside, quickly."_

 _Without hesitation Alex and Winn dragged Batman inside and with the help of J'onn, holsted him up and onto the medical table. Lena followed them inside and stood beside Winn._

 _ **Lena**_ _: (Looks at Batman intensely, before looking at Alex and J'onn, who stood side by side across from her.) "What can I do?"_

 _ **J'onn:**_ _"Ms Luthor-"_

 _ **Lena:**_ _"Don't even start. He saved my life, so now its my turn to save his so..." (Her intense gaze shifts from J'onn to Alex.) "What can I do?"_

 _ **Alex:**_ _(Turns to J'onn, giving him a we-could-use-the-help look. After a quick second to think it over, J'onn glances back at Alex and gives her a knowing nod; she in turn nods back and flashes a brief smile, before turning back to Lena.) "I need you to help me check for vitals; think you can do that.?"_

 _ **Lena:**_ _(She supresses a grin as she gives a confident answer.) "Of course."_

 _ **Alex:**_ _(The senior agent turned her attention towards Winn.) "Agent Schott, I need you to remove his mask so we can check for cranial trauma or swelling."_

 _ **Winn:**_ _"Uh technically its a cowl so-" (Alex looked up, shooting a look at him that quickly made him regret correcting her.) "Uh yeah no, nevermind._

 _ **J'onn:**_ _(He remained an silent observer for the most part while the others worked. But there was something knagging at him, something that he couldn't put his finger on, not until he saw Winn's hands touch the cowl.) "Careful!"_

 _Alex and Lena looked up in time to see the sparks shoot off the cowl and watched Winn recieve a sudden and powerful jolt which caused him to quickly reel his hands back._

 _ **Winn:**_ _(Shook his hands back and forth before clenching them tightly as he took a few breathes._ " _YAOWWW, ow, ow, ow son of a...what the hell was that?"_

 _ **Lena:**_ _(She studied the cowl closely before making her assumption known.) "He must have some sort of security measure in place to keep anyone from removing it. Impressive."_

 _ **Alex:**_ _"More like paranoid."_

 _ **Winn:**_ _(He scanned the cowl closely, during which he noticed the reflective lens on the left eye was missing a piece; enough to see the Batman's eyelid twitch slightly.) "Hey guys," (He raised his hand, placing it a few inches from the cowl.) "I think he's sleeping."_

 _Suddenly, either out of reflex or instinct, Batman quickly grabs Winn's hands, slowly squeezing it tighter and tighter. Once more everyone turned, bewildered, just as Winn slowly started hunching forward._

 _ **Winn:**_ _(Pain washed over his face, as Batman's grip continues to tighten.) "Nope, definitely not sleeping." (A crackling sound eminated from his hand, causing him to groan out from the increasing pain.) "Holy Kung-Fu grip, this guys' strong. Seriously guy's...a little help. Please."_

 **Now**

 **Conference Room**

Exhausted and still a bit un-nerved, Lena sits alone, staring at her hands, which were shaking slightly; she clenched them tightly, making a fist and held it for a few seconds before releasing. The shakiness slowly started to wane, afterwards she laid them flat, palms down on the glass table. She had tried to focus on the here and now, trying to convince herself that she was safe, that she could relax even just a little bit.

But the questions and thoughts that swarmed her mind kept shifting her focus, which only made her uneasy. She closed her eyes, and takes a deep breath in, only to slowly release it a few seconds later. Suddenly, the door opens, snapping her from her thoughts and back to reality; she turned to see the man from before, J'onn, walking towards her, a glass of water in his hand.

 **J'onn:** (He walks over and sets the glass down in front of Lena, who glances up at him. He gives her a placent smile.) "Here, I thought you might be thirsty."

 **Lena:** (Gives a small smile as she takes the glass in hand.) "Thank you, Mr. J'onzz is it?"

 **J'onn:** (He gave a subtle nod before making his way over to the seat across the table from hers.) "J'onn J'onzz, yes. But you can call me J'onn." (He pulls out the he chair and takes a seat.)

Lena nods and gives a small smile back before she takes a few small sips of water; afterwards she set it aside, then suddenly out of nowhere a single thought crepted to the forefront of her mind...

 **Lena:** "How is he...Batman I mean?" (She didn't ask strictly out of curiousity, but also a sense of genuine concern. After all, he did save her from a giant crocodile man; it seemed only appropriate to ask how he was doing.)

 **J'onn:** (He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table and clasping his hands together.) "He's resting now, but knowing him; he'll be up and around before too long. He's too stubborn to stay down. Not long anyway." (He lets a smirk slip.)

 **Lena:** (She shares a smile with J'onn, before letting out a small chuckle.) "He sounds like an extraordinary individual, but also; quite a handful."

 **J'onn:** (He finds himself smirking once more while nodding in agreement.) "You have no idea."

Once more the two share a chuckle, one which quickly gave way to a long silence. J'onn stared at her and her at him, both knowing full well what was coming next.

 **J'onn:** "I know that your exhausted and maybe a bit shaken from what happened, but I need to ask you some questions; about what happened at L-Corp." (His tone was soft, and steady; sounding almost like a father comforting a child after having a nightmare.)

 **Lena:** (She takes in a deep breath as she glances down at her hands once more. Her skin tingles just thinking about what happened, but she knew it was necessary and was willing to help in anyway she could.) "I understand J'onn, but...I don't know how much help I'll be. To be honest I was scared out of my mind through most of it." (She gave a fake chuckle, in the hopes that it would help calm her; it didn't.)

 **J'onn:** "I don't doubt it, but whatever you can remember could help us find him; you are safe here Ms. Luthor, I promise." (His tone was still soft and steady as he tried to get her to open up, to relax even.)

 **Lena:** (Once more she felt herself waning as she stared at J'onn who stared back, ready to absorb what she was willing to tell. After thinking it over for a quick moment, she let's out sigh and gives a nod.) "Where do I start?"

 **J'onn:** (He slowly leans back in his chair, taking note of how quickly her demeanor had changed.) "Let's start from the beginning..."

 _ **L-Corp: A few hours earlier**_

 _Unrelenting terror, overwhelming fear. This is what Lena was feeling as she stared up at the monstrous creature towering over her, watching in fright as it snarled at her through curved-yellow teeth. Her breathing grew more labored the more she stared at the creature, but; when her eyes drifted upward, meeting its murderous gaze, she felt an icey chill shoot up and down her spine. She desperately wanted to look away, to flee, but found herself unable; was it its hypnotic glance or was it the paralyzing fear that encumbered her...perhaps a bit of both._

 _Meanwhile, Croc stood there, sneering at the helpless prey before him, relishing in the fear eminating from her. She is what he was looking for, she would lead him to them; he was sure of it. Wasting little time he took a step forward, which caused the near-helpless, cowering woman before him to stumble backwards. She frantically tried pushing herself away, her hands and feet skidding and squeaking across the tiled floor._

 _Lena quickly found her back literally up against a wall and the creature closing the gap between them. She looked around, desperate to find something, anything to defend herself with; unfortunately it was too late. Croc was already on her, inching his jowls closer and closer to her face while she quickly turned her head away and clenched her eyes shut. His nostrils flared mere inches from her cheek, as he sniffed the air around her, familiarizing himself with her scent._

 _Meanwhile, it took every effort and every reflex not to gag as she felt his warm, putrid breath against the side of her face. All she could do was sit there, still while he continued sniffing her; the scientist in her figured that this was a show of force, of dominance to instill fear in its prey, its prey being her. And it was working. Inspite of this, and the fact that any other rational person would simply remain still, either out of fear or what have you; she summoned every ounce of strength she had left within to ask..._

 _ **Lena:**_ _"Who, are you?" (Her question towards the creature recieved a quick response, one in the form of a gutteral growl which caused her to flinch. And yet, she continued with her query.) "Why are you here? What do you want?" (Each word was drawn out under shaky, trembling breath.)_

 _ **Croc:**_ _"_ _ **What do I want?**_ _" (His tone suggested that he was furious, either at the question or the recipent who asked it. In reality, it was both.) "_ _ **I Want Cadddmuussssss...**_ _"_

 _Upon hearing that name, Lena's eyes slowly open and for a moment, the fear dwindled albeit only slightly. She turned, giving Croc a quizical look._

 _ **Lena:**_ _"Cadmus?" (She mumbled.) "This has to do with..." (Her voice trailed off, as her mind began to ponder what Cadmus and her mother were up to now and how she was involved. For now, her attention quickly returned to the creature, who continued to stare her down.) "Look, my mother works for Cadmus, not me. I have nothing to do with this-"_

 _Before she could finish her explaination, Croc formed a fist and drove it through the wall behind her; this caused Lena to once again turn her head and shut her eyes. Croc was growing more impatient by the second..._

 _ **Croc:**_ _"_ _ **STOP LYING TO ME!**_ _" (He violently pulled his fist out of the wall, bringing with it dust and bits of concrete and the like. Lena kept her head turned and her eyes shut, which only infuriated him more.) "_ _ **LOOK AT ME!**_ _"_

 _With no other choice left, she slowly turned her head and opened her eyes to the the creature's rage building behind his eyes._

 _ **Croc:**_ _"_ _ **Your mother and Cadmus did this to me; made me into thisss. Worse than a freak, they turned me into a monster.**_ _" (His words were ful of anger, of pain, but suddenly it all became clear to Lena.) "_ _ **They will fix me. Or else...**_ _"_

 _ **Lena:**_ _(Before she could stop herself from blurting it out, it was already to late.) "Or else...what?"_

 _ **Croc:**_ _(He leaned in close, his eyes peering into hers with deadly intent.) "_ _ **Or else...I'll tear the flesh from your bones with my teeth...**_ _"_

 _ **Lena:**_ _(She gulped hard at the less-than-veiled threat.) "Listen please...I don't work for Cadmus and I don't know where they are I swear. Please you have to believe me."_

 _ **Croc:**_ _(As he stared at her, more intently than ever before, he lets out a gutteral growl. His had finally reached his limit.) "_ _ **If that's true...then I have no use for you.**_ _"_

 _He reared his right hand back, unclenching his fist to reveal the razor-like talons pretruding from his fingertips. Lena's eyes drifted up towards his hand. a mixture of horror and sadness streaking across her face. She knew this was it, that this was the end and yet she still hoped, prayed that someone, anyone would save her as she shut her eyes one last time. Every muscle in her body tensed up, her pulse and heart pounding away, and she waited...and waited, but the end never came._

 _Slowly, she opened her eyes, only to see the monstrous creature, who just a few seconds ago was going to literally tear her apart, standing there. She noted how his head was tilted back, and how he looked like a wild animal as he sniffed the air around him. He quickly looked left then right, then behind him; something had his full undivided attention and for now, Lena was grateful that his attention wasn't on her._

 _ **Croc:**_ _(His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air once more.) "_ _ **I know you're here...you can't stop me, not this time, hero.**_ _"_

 _When Lena heard that word, Hero, she felt relief rush over her and a small smile slowly formed on her lips._

 _ **Lena:**_ _"Supergirl...its about damn time." (Her tone sounded confident, relieved and happy all at once, as she continued to smile.)_

 _ **Croc:**_ _(He turned his head, giving Lena a deathly pointed look, one which made her drop the smile.) "_ _ **No, not Supergirl...**_ _" (He looked away, but not before catching Lena giving him a questioning look.) "_ _ **Its something...worse.**_ _"_

 _His eyes darted back and forth, scanning every corner, every wall, every inch of the lobby. With his back turned, Lena saw this as an opportunity, her chance to sneak away._

 _ **Croc:**_ _"_ _ **If you run and I'll tear out your spine before youeven make it to the door.**_ _" (His not so idle threat stopped her dead in her tracks.)_

 _When she looked up at him, watching him slowly turn his head to the side, just enough for him to send a deadly glare her way. In the back of her mind, she was pretty sure that he wanted her to run, just so he'd have a reason to chase her down and make good on his threat. This thought sent another cold chill down her spine, all the while using every ounce of strength she had to keep herself calm and collected. Suddenly, he heard something; a slicing sound piercing through the air, growing louder and louder until..._

 _ **Croc:**_ _(He quickly turned around just in time to catch two batarangs with his left hand, mere inches from his face. As he glanced down at the devices, sneering at them arrogantly, before returning his gaze to the lobby.) "_ _ **Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...**_ _" (With his tremondous strength, he easily crushed the batarangs, upon which they suddenly exploded, spurting forth a cloud of mysterious green mist. As the mist touched his face, eyes etc. he immediately dropped the pieces and grasped his face.) "_ _ **GAHHHAAHH!**_ _"_

 _He reared his head back, letting out a bloodthirsty roar, all the while thrashing about blindly as his eyes started burning from the green mist. Lena couldn't help but sit there, watching as he flailed about, striking and destroying everything within reach. Then, suddenly, she realized that this was her chance, perhaps her only chance at escape. She turns, looking in the direction of the lobby door, before returning her gaze back to Croc who continued shouting and thrashing around._

 _Once on her feet, she slowly inched her way to the right; her eyes darting back and forth from the exit to Croc, who had started swinging his tail wildly through the air. Confident that there was enough distance between them, Lena turned in the direction of the exit, only find herself face to face with someone she never expected, the Batman._

 _ **Lena:**_ _"You're-you're real..." (Her words were drawn out, full of disbelief, perhaps even shock.)_

 _Suddenly, without warning, he grabbed her by shoulders and pulled her towards him, before leaping out of the way; mere seconds before Croc slammed down his massive tail, right where she was standing a few seconds ago._

 _ **Batman:**_ _(He glanced over, to see Croc still flailing and thrashing about, blind as a bat, though only momentarily. Next, he looked back at Lena, speaking with a demanding tone.) "We need to move; now!"_

 _Without another word, he quickly got to his feet, helping Lena up at the same time; once on their feet, he grabbed her wrist, quickly leading her away from the Croc. Lena was still wrapping her head around the giant crocodile tearing through her building and now, she was being lead by none other that a living myth. It was overwhelming, trying to process everything, for most it would be too much, but if any one could, it would be Lena._

 _But she quickly pushed all the confusion aside when she noticed that he was leading her towards the stairwell door instead of the lobby entrance. Once they arrived at said door, she finally gave the confusion that had been flooding her was finally given a voice...-_

 _ **Lena:**_ _"The stairs? The exit is that way." (Her words, though expressing her confusion, seemed to be lined with a hint of frustration. Which the Dark Knight no doubt picked up on.)_

 _ **Batman:**_ _(After opening the door, he turned to her.) "For one, we can't risk him following us outside and tearing the streets of National City apart trying to get to you. Innocent civilians could get hurt or worse. And two, there's something in your office that I need to stop him." (He paused for a micro-second before adding...) "Any other questions?"_

 _ **Lena:**_ _(She shot him a slightly annoyed looked, before realizing that arguing with this...man, would get her nowhere. So, for the moment, she would cooperate...seeing as how he did save her, at least for now.) "Fine, but the elevator will be quicker. The generators are still online so they should still be working," (She turned towards the elevator doors, which were a few short steps to the right.)_

 _She stepped in front of the doors, rapidly tapping the button to her right. Suddenly, once again, just as the doors slide open, she finds herself being pulled away by Batman, mere seconds before Croc barrel's into the elevator. The combined force of the impact and Croc's own exceeding weight caused the cables above to snap, sending the elevator and Croc inside, plummeting down the shaft to the parking level below._

 _ **Lena:**_ _(After releasing her for a second time, she glances down the shaft at the twisted and distorted elevator below.) "Okay, nevermind." (She huffed as she continued staring down the shaft until...)_

 _Batman cleared his throat, catching her attention before grabbing her wrist once more, where he ushered her into the stairwell seconds later. After closing the door behind him, he turned around and walked over to her, where without warning, he quickly scooped her up in one arm._

 _As she felt his arm loop around her back, pulling her closer to him, her body started reacting accordingly. Her stomach felt like it was in knots, her pulse pacing faster than she ever thought it could; her skin tingled, in a good way she thought, as she stared up at The Dark Knight curiously. She gulped hard as her eyes drifted, taking note of every detail, from the texture of his cowl to the stubbles of his 5 o'clock shadow. Eventually, her eyes return to his reflective gaze, where she promptly snapped out of whatever trance she was in._

 _ **Lena:**_ _*clears throat* "Umm, what do you think your doing?"_

 _ **Batman:**_ _"Hold on tight."_

 _Less than a second later, Batman reached behind his back and pulled out his grapnel gun, aiming directly above them. Before she form a sentence, he had already squeezed the trigger, firing the claw straight up with a cable in tow, where it wrapped itself around the railing on the top floor. Seeing where this was going, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, gripping him tightly as they were pulled upward at near blinding speeds._

 _Within seconds they had already passed the 10th floor and her grip around his neck continued to tighten, yet he seemed unfazed by this as. Unlike the Dark Knight, Lena had clinched her eyes shut during this extreme flight, trying her best not to yelp or scream as he carried her upward, to the top floor. When they reached the top, he released his hold on her and she slowly released hers on him._

 _After a brief moment to collect herself and regain some semblance of her composure, she opened her eyes and took a slow, deep breath._

 _ **Lena:**_ _(She took a quick glance around, before returning her gaze to Batman. After clearing her throat she started pressing her business shirt in an feeble attempt to hide how flustered she really was.) "That was...exciting." (She said, flashing a brief smile.)_

 _She reached out for the door, but stopped cold when she heard a blood-curdling roar eminating from below. Both her and Batman quickly looked over the railing, down the stairwell; that is when Lena noticed several small devices magnetized to the sides of the stairs themselves. From what she could determine, there were at least 7 of these devices, all flashing red LED's in unison. Even though her eyes were shut during her flight up, she knew that only Batman could have placed them there, but for what purpose? And perhaps a more important question was... what exactly do they do?_

 _Before she could ponder on these questions, Batman quickly pulled open the door and hustled her into the hallway, before quickly following. Just as they entered the hallway, Croc ripped and tore the steel door off its hinges, tossing it aside before manuevering through the doorway and into the stairwell. Though the burning sensation from the green mist had nearly faded completely, his vision had yet to fully clear, as everything he sees was a blur, but he had other, more heightened senses that he could rely on._

 _He began sniffing the air, where after a few seconds he caught a familiar scent; two in fact._

 _Meanwhile, in the hallway..._

 _ **Lena:**_ _(She stood there, trying to conceal the fear that once again bubbled to the surface; she looks at the Dark Knight standing in front of her.) "I hope you have another plan for that...thing." (Croc lets out another bloodthirsty roar, quickly followed by a bellowing threat.)_ _ **"**_ _ **You can run, but you can't hide ! I have you're scent's!**_ _ **"**_

 _ **Batman:**_ _(He looked away from the door, at the same time that Lena did and their gazes met. Behind her eyes, he saw confusion, ire and fear. He however remained calm, because he always has his contengicy plans.) "Always..."_

 _In the stairwell..._

 _After rubbing his eyes for a few seconds, his vision started to clear; that is when he noticed the small devices, the red LED's blinking faster and faster until the turned from red to green. At which point the devices detonated, exploding in unison with just enough force to blow apart the supports, causing the steel stairs and bits of debris that followed, crashing down towards Croc._

 _ **Croc:**_ _(A disdained, irritated look forms across his face.) "_ _ **Son of a b-**_ _"_

 _Before he could finish, he became buried under a few tons of steel and debris._

 _Back in the hallway..._

 _ **Batman:**_ _(Her gaze quickly changed, from fearful to questioning as they shifted from him, to the door then back to him. Her lips started to move, but before she could speak Batman interjected.) "That will slow him down but not for long, we need to get to your office, now!" (His tone was stern, yet calm as he stared at her waiting for a reponse.)_

 _After a quick glance at the door, and a brief moment of wondering what kind of damage laid beyond and if her insurance would cover it. and gives him a simple nod before leading him to her office door._

 _ **Lena:**_ _(She jerked her head to the right, signaling for him to follow her.) "My office is through here." (The two made their way to her office door, where she immediately turned the handle and pushed it open.)_

 _(Once inside she walked to the middle of the room before turning back around, in time to see Batman shut the door and lock it.)_ _ **Yeah, right...like that will stop that thing from busting in here.**_ _(She thought.)_

 __ _"Well, what now?" (Without a word, he brushes past her and heads over to her desk, afterwhich he slides the chair out of the way. Meanwhile, Lena takes a few steps towards him; confusion and frustration brewing within.) "What the hell are you doing now?"_

 _Without a word, he placed his hand underneath the desk where he slowly slid his fingers across until he found it. Hidden from view and prying eyes, was a single switch one which he flipped without hesitation. In turn, the wall to his right popped forward before sliding to the left, revealing a previously hidden steel door. He turned to her, and she in turn gave him a stunned look._

 _ **Lena:**_ _"How did you know about-" (The words quickly became lost as she walked over to the steel door. She stared at it for a few seconds before turning back to the Dark Knight.) "Who the hell are you?"_

 _ **Batman:**_ _(He walked around the table and stood in front of her, trying his best to hold back a grin.) "I need your Genetic Resonance Scanner."_

 _ **Lena:**_ _(Her brow raised as she stood there, confused staring at the Dark Knight.) "How did you..." (She quickly threw away that question, when she remembered who she was talking to.) "Nevermind. Look, that device was built to determine who is an alien and who is a human its not a weapon."_

 _ **Batman:**_ _(He took a step forward.) "Not yet."_

 _She stood there, giving him a quizical look, but before she could ask or even ponder what he meant by that; a loud blood-curdling roar echoed from outside the room, catching both their attention._

 _ **Lena:**_ _(She quickly looks back at him and he at her.) "Okay listen, I'll get you the scanner, but under two conditions."_

 _ **Batman:**_ _(He tilts his head slightly to the left, while under the cowl he sports a dis-sheveled look.) "Now is not the time for negotiations."_

 _ **Lena:**_ _(She stood her ground, refusing to budge until she said what she needed to.) "One, you answer all my questions, starting with why the hell Killer Croc is here in National City tearing my building apart looking for me and why he's looking for Cadmus."_

 _ **Batman:**_ _(Once more their attention was diverted towards the door, where the sound of heavy footsteps echoed on the other end.) "And the second?" (He looked back, meeting her gaze once more.)_

 _ **Lena:**_ _"You let me help. If Cadmus is invovled then that means my mother is behind whatever is going on and whatever it is, I plan on stopping her, with or without your help."_

 _ **Batman:**_ _(His jaw muscle clenched tightly as he lets out an annoyed sigh. And yet, he was somewhat impressed by her abrasivness.) "Anything else?"_

 _ **Lena:**_ _"Well, you getting me out of here and away from him should go without saying..."_

 _ **Batman:**_ _(The footsteps grew louder as Croc drew closer and closer. Out of time, he made his decision.) "Deal. Now, if you would please..." (He gestured towards the door.)_

 _ **Lena:**_ _(With that she quickly went to work, placing her hand on the palm scanner that was fixed in the center.) *mumbling* "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon..." (A few seconds later the screen went green and the door became ajared.) "Yes."_

 _She opened the door fully and entered the room, while Batman took a defensive stance in the middle of the room, waiting. The room within was a high-tech workshop, one which held every single piece of tech that she had created since coming to National City. She rushed from one side of the room to the other, frantically trying to find where the device could be._

 _Eventually she found it and quickly placed it in her pants pocket before exiting the room._

 _ **Lena:**_ _"I got it!"_

 _His eyes remained fixed on the door, turned around to see her staring at him, while he looked down at the device in her hands._

 _ **Batman:**_ _(His eyes remained fixed on the door, never leaving it for one second.) "Good, 'cause we-"_

 _Suddenly the floor beneath him splintered druing which a giant scaled fist spranged forth, connecting with his chest and sending him flying, crashing into the wall, before plummeting to the floor. Lena watched in horror as Batman kneeled there, coughing up spoltches of blood. As Batman struggled to get to his feet, Croc began breaking through the rest of the floor. Despite his injuries, he managed to get to his feet, during which Lena rushed over to his side, helping him stand._

 _ **Batman:**_ _(As blood dripped from his mouth, he spoke in a gritty, pain-filled tone.) " When you see an opening, run and get as far away as you can. Find Detective Maggie Sawyer, Special Crimes NCPD. She can protect you." (His eyes were fixed on Croc, who started pushing himself up through the floor. Meanwhile, Batman reached behind him and retrieved a device from his ultility belt.)_

 _ **Lena:**_ _(She glanced at Croc, who slowly inched his way out of the floor, only to look back at Batman.) "Wait, what about you?"_

 _ **Batman:**_ _(Without missing a beat, he replied quickly and in a determined tone.) "I'll buy as much time as I can."_

 **Author's epilogue:** **I don't know if I spelled epilogue right, aw well. Anyways I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and FYI I think I'm going to finish this story in the next chapter or the next; no more than 2. Also I know this chapter was a bit shorter than the others again I haven't felt like writing, but I promise that I will finish this story. And with that let me know what you think about the story so far and what you would like to see in future chapters. Thank you for the follows and favorites, I appreciate it, THX. L8R.**


	9. Bonus Chapter (Early X-mas Gift)

**Author's Note: Hey guys and gals. First off I hope that all of you are having a great X-mas and aren't sick (unlike me). Secondly, This chapter was originally supposed to be longer but I figured since I haven't posted one in quite a while I would just go ahead and post what I have. This is a continuation from last chapter; a flashback of what happen when Croc attacked Lena and Batman at L-Corp. I went back and forth with the fight scene, but the main issue that I had was that I was making Batman out to be too OP (Over-Powered) and so I went back to various comics and even the Arkham games to help me ground both the Characters and the fight itself. **

**I do hope you enjoy this chapter and as usual, I own no DC characters either from the show or comics, only my own insanity.**

 _ **Lena:**_ _(Her brows furrowed as she gave a questioning stare at Batman, who was slowly getting to his feet while letting out a pain-filled groan.) "Wait, what about you?"_

 _Batman staggered a bit before regaining his balance, all the while he ignored her worrying gaze. What he couldn't ignore however was the nonstop pounding in his head, or the throbbing pain coursing throughout his entire body, which was relentless, but then again so was he. His gaze quickly found its way back to Croc who was nearly finished prying himself up from the floor. With only seconds to spare, Batman quickly scanned the room, mentally plotting every possible and potential escape route._

 _It didn't take long for him to conclude that there was only one course of action; he turned his head slightly, just enough to see Lena out of the corner of his lens. His priority, his goal had remained the same; protect Lena Luthor at all costs. As Croc finished getting to his feet, Batman's gaze once again returned to the monstrous behemoth._

 _ **Batman:**_ _(Unbeknownst to Lena or Croc, he secretly retrieved 4 small ball-bearing sized capsules from his belt, holding them tightly in his right hand. His words were determined and quick, and directed at Lena.) "I'll buy as much time as I can." (And with that, the time for talk was over.)_

 _Batman quickly extended his arm forth, throwing the 4 capsules towards the fericious Killer Croc, who in response raised his arms in front of his face; shielding himself as the pellets exploded on contact and engulfed Croc in a cloud of dark grey smoke. Amid the smoke, Croc stood there seemingly unfazed and unimpressed by Batman's latest tactic, despite being virtually blind._

 _ **Croc:**_ _(The smoke surrounding him was only a minor inconvience, and wouldn't hinder him for long.) "_ _ **Smoke Bombs...Is that all you got Batman!? Your little toys can't hide you from me!**_ _"_

 _ **Batman:**_ _(As the room slowly filled with smoke, Batman quickly handed Lena a breathing device which she took without question. After he turned back to Croc, just as the smoke engulfed him he said through gritted teeth; his voice booming, like thunder in the distance.) "I'm not hiding."_

 _Using the smoke as a veil to shadow his movements, Batman quickly went on the offensive, rushing towards Croc before leaping into the air and planting the sole of his left boot to the side of Croc's face. After said attack Croc slashed the air blindly, while Batman continued his assault delivering a flurry of punches to his mid-section before dissappearing into the smoke once more._

 _Croc's unbridled pride started to crumble, giving way to rage and fury once more as he snarled and growled into the smoke._

 _ **Croc:**_ _(His eyes shifts from one side to the next, all the while wildly slashing at nothing but smoke.) "_ _ **COWARD! WHERE ARE YOU!?**_ _" (Without missing a step or beat he replied confidently, with an open-palm punch to Croc's right side, slightly dazing the behemoth. This of course caused Croc to become increasingly frustrated.)_

 _ **Batman:**_ _(His knuckles felt sore and wet underneath the reinforced gloves, and they too began to throb with uncontrollable pain, and still his persistance and conviction never wavered.) "Give up Jones, there's still time to stop this; before you do something that you will regret."_

 _Deep down, he knew that he could never talk Croc down from anything, much less a fight; especially now, after everything that has happen to him, everything that they put him through. Before all this, before Blackgate, he might've been able to convince him to give up without much bloodshed. That was back then, back when he still had a sense of empathy, when he still had a shred of humanity, but now that shred was gone, taken from him. All that was left now was the animal, the monster...a killer._

 _The smoke was beginning to dissipate, and both Croc and Batman noticed; time was running out, Batman retrieved a pair of tungsten steel knuckles from his belt and slid them onto his left hand. Most would expect the Dark Knight to fight fair and not rely on dirty tactics, but as Batman would often explain; there was no such thing as a fair fight._

 _Batman clenced his fist tightly as he once again rushed towards Croc, but this time the behemoth was prepared and came out swinging; he delivered a right cross, but Batman quickly ducked underneath it afterwhich he delivered a devasting uppercut to Croc's lower jaw, causing him to stumble backwards a few steps. The monstrous titan slowly lowered his head, where he gazed down at the near-exhausted Batman. His eyes dart down to the Dark Knight's left hand to see the knuckles, upon which he turns his head and spits out a tooth which clanged against the floor just a few inches from Lena._

 _ **Croc:**_ _(He leaned down close, and once again started to boast.) "_ _ **Is that all you got? I expected more...**_ _"_

 _Batman said nothing as he stared up at him, instead he gave a simple smirk which caused Croc to stare at him in a quizzical manner._

 _ **Croc:**_ _"_ _ **What's so damn funny?**_ _"_

 _ **Batman:**_ _(The sound of the floor creaking beneath them caught Croc's attention momentarily. Eventually his gaze meets with Batman's once again, where his grin stood strong.) "Always pay attention to your surroundings." (Less than a second later the floor started to give way, causing Croc's eyes to widen.)_

 _Fear, panic...these were but a few of the emotions seeping into Lena's mind as she watched as Batman and Croc both fall through the floor, dissappearing from sight. She continued crouching against the wall, still clasping the rebreather against her face with both hands; breathing in and out irradically. After waiting a few more seconds for the smoke to finally clear, she removed the rebreather and tossed it aside. Stumbling to her feet, she slowly and cautiously made her way over to the edge of the gaping hole that now decorated the center of her office. She cautiously leaned over the edge, glancing down to see Batman sluggishly pushing off some of the debris before getting to his feet._

 _\- Lena felt relieved, but also stunned to see him standing after all that. Her eyes stayed fixed on the Dark Knight, watching him catch his second wind when suddenly Croc's massive tail wrapped around his neck. Fear stricken, Lena tried to shout, but found herself too late._

 _Lena stood there, unable to pull her eyes away as she watched Croc lift Batman into the air and dangle him there, like a live worm on a hook. The tail tightened around his throat, constricting his breathing with each passing second as he struggled to free himself. With the situation more dire than before, Lena herself started to struggle, racking her brain trying to figure out some way to help him. Suddenly, Croc looks up, his cold unrelenting gaze finding hers; once more, an overencumbering fear rushed over her, paralyzing her entire body as he stared at her with those bloodthirsty eyes._

 _ **Croc:**_ _"_ _ **DON'T WORRY, I HAVEN'T FORGOT ABOUT YOU, LITTLE LENA...I WON'T BE LONG.**_ _"_

 _Fear had taken complete and utter control, causing her body to shiver uncontrollably as her mind went blank. She hadn't realized that she was holding her breath, not until Croc turned his gaze and attention back to the Dark Knight. Lena lets out a fluttered breath..._

 _ **This thing...is a monster, in every sense of the word. One that my mother and Cadmus helped to create. And now, I'm paying the price for it and so is Batman.**_

 _Without warning, Croc, using his tail, slammed Batman into the floor again and again; everytime Lena flinched at the sheer force that the monster put behind them. He finishes by tossing Batman into the ceiling above, causing the floor beneath Lena to shake, and letting him fall face first to the floor. Lena put her hand to her mouth to keep herself from gasping out as she continued to watch the brutality of the scene unfold. Much to her suprise, Batman started moving, grunting out as he sluggishly pushed himself up off the floor._

 _ **How is he still able to move after that? No normal human could withstand an attack of such sheer force, unless...is he even human?**_

 _As Batman staggered to his feet, he was met swiftly by Croc's tail once again which he quickly swung around. Batman managed to raise his arms to block this attack just before it made contact, but just barely, even then the sheer force behind it sent him flying through the wall and into the next room. Lena continued to watch as Croc stalked out of sight, towards his current prey. She shudder at the thought of what he was going to do to the Dark Knight, as she gripped the edge of the gaping hole tightly, clenching her eyes shut._

 _ **WHAT IN THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?! What can I-**_

 _Suddenly, her inner voice was silenced and replaced by a booming one; not her own, but a familiar one nonetheless as an image of a tall, slender, bald-headed main in a business suit looked out an office window and into the Metropolis below._

 _ **Lex**_ _ **: Fear dear sister, is a primordial yet powerful emotion. It has overthrown kings and czars, toppled kingdoms with just a whisper and can even destroy the strongest of men and gods. Its all encompassing and ever-paralyzing, but...like many things it has one fatal flaw and do you know what that is my dear sister?**_

 _ **It can be easily overcomed, if one's will is strong enough that is. That is why we, the Luthors are revered, because to put it simply...We Luthors do not bend to Fear; Fear bends to us, to our Will.**_

 _The last part kept repeating in her mind, over and over again, only the voice change. First, she heard her brother's voice say it, then her mother's, both of which she utterly despised. But they too faded and were replaced by another, this one was full of kindness, full of compassion, ; this voice too was also familiar, but unlike the others, it filled her hope._

 _ **Supergirl & Lena (unison):**_ _ **We do not bend to Fear, it bends to us.**_

 _Lena could feel something tightening in her gut, a newfound sense of determination, rising up within. She opened her eyes and got to her feet; a mixture of confidence and calmness plastered across her face as she turned and looked back at the door to her workshop._

 _ **Lena:**_ _"Time to show him what happens when you mess with a Luthor." (She mumbles to herself as she walks into her workshop once more.)_

 _Batman lets out a groan as he rolled over onto his side, spitting a mouth full of blood onto the floor; he paused for a moment as the pain throughout his body intensified, causing him to feel light-headed for a few seconds. The pain and fatigue only worsened as he pushed off the floor, staggering to his feet. As he stood there, a sudden and sharp pain struck his left side,- upon which he- gasped out as he staggered forward; clenching his side, slowly running his fingers down his rib cage._

 _ **I count 3, maybe 4 cracked ribs and a concussion on top of that. The Kevlar composite in my suit is almost useless against Jones now; whatever Cadmus did to him made him stronger and faster than before. Just great.**_

 _He turned his head to the right, just enough to look over his shoulder and just in time to see Croc plowing through the wall; making the already gaping hole in the wall even bigger. Croc stood there unfazed, staring coldly at the Dark Knight. Batman stared back, only to see everything, including Croc himself, start to blur; the various shapes blending into one another, until his vision suddenly cleared._

 _ **The concussion's getting worse, blurring my vision; my body's starting to betray me, pretty soon I won't have the strength to stand. Alfred's never going to let me hear the end of this.**_

 _Once his vision had cleared fully, Batman turned around, facing Croc who was just a few feet away._

 _ **I need to keep his attention on me; I need to buy Lena more time to get out and get to Detective Sawyer.**_

 _Croc's sneer quickly turned into a snarl before he reared back, letting out a bloodthirsty roar. Batman knew what was at stake, what would happen if he failed; Alfred once told him that he was too stubborn to die, to fail and he was right. No matter the situation or the odds, he woulc never stop, could never stop even if it meant..._

 _He cleared this thought from his mind, like so many times before and instead focused on the threat in front of him. His eyes never veered from Croc as he quickly retrieved 6 collaspable batarangs from his belt, three in each hand._

 _ **Whatever Lillian Luthor did to him at Blackgate; whatever experiments and torture that they put him through didn't just mutate his body, but his mind too. At this point he's more savage animal than man, which makes him dangerous, but...predictable.**_

 _Croc lets out another roar before lungeing towards him, for which Batman responded swiftly; throwing all 6 batarangs at the savage Croc, before quickly sliding underneath him. The batarangs were useless, bouncing or reflecting off of Croc's highly dense hide and yet, Batman remained calm; never losing his composure for even a second. Croc quickly retaliated by swinging his massive tail towards him, but once again, Batman avoided it, dodging to the left._

 _Batman could tell that he was only making the monster before him angrier by the second, which is exactly what he wanted. Croc lets out a gutteral roar and once again lunges at him, slashing at the Dark Knight over and over again, only for the vigilante to dodge them seemingly with ease. With most his strength behind it, Croc threw a fist only to have Batman grab his arm; using Croc's own momentum, Batman almost effortlessly flipped the beast over his shoulder, tossing him down to the floor._

 _After that, Batman retreated a few steps back, trying to put some much needed distance between him and Croc, unfortunately Croc had other idea's. As Batman took one last step back, the tip of Croc's tail wrapped around the Dark Knight's ankle, gripping it tightly. Before Batman could react, Croc slammed the vigilante down on the otherside of him before tossing him into the air._

 _Batman tried to react, to block the attack but he wasn't fast enough as Croc delivered a devasting hit; a loud popping sound echoed from the vigilante's left shoulder, dislocating it and causing him to shout out as he once flew through the gaping hole in the wall. He gasped out as he hit the floor, clenching his left shoulder tightly with his right hand._

 _Croc stood there for a few seconds watching the Dark Knight writhing on the floor._

 _ **Croc:**_ _(He walked over to the gaping hole in the wall, placing one hand on the corner, snarling at Batman, who struggled getting to his feet.) "_ _ **TONIGHT, THE BATMAN DIES; YOUR LEGEND DIES!**_ _"_

 _He stepped through the hole, growling and snarling at the barely standing vigilante, while mentally salavating at how he was going to tear him apart. Meanwhile, Batman stood there, blood still pouring out his nose and running down his chin; his bones ached and his head kept pounding away non-stop and then there was the sharp pain in his side. The pain was worse than before, so much that his vision was beginning to blur once again. As Croc cracked his knuckles, Bruce simply stood there, steadfast; Bruce knew that he should be scared, afraid that this was truly the end, after all these years, but he didn't feel afraid, not even a little._

 _He had prepared himself since day one for this, for the day when no amount of planning or persistance or skill could save him. There was still much left to be done he thought, but...that burden would have to fall to those that he left behind._

 _ **Croc:**_ _(He took a step forward, salavating as he stared at the seemingly helpless Dark Knight.) "_ _ **I'M GOING TO ENJOY TEARING YOU APAR- -YAARRGGGHHHCCKKK!**_ _" (Croc suddenly reeled backwards, clenching the sides of his head as he to scream and shout.)_

 _Batman suddenly perked up as he watched Croc drop to his knees writhing in pain. At first, it seemed as though Croc was being attacked by some invisible force, like he was stricken by some unrelenting, neverending phantom pain. For Croc, it was like ten thousand bumblebee's buzzing in his head all at once._

 _ **Croc:**_ _"_ _ **YARRRGGGHHH, TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OOFFFFFF!**_ _"_

 _Batman stood there, watching Croc intently until his survival instincts kicked in; he felt a prescence enter the room, a familiar one him with annoyance._

 _ **Batman:**_ _"I thought I told you to run." (He stated in an annoyed tone as he slowly turned his head to the left, spotting a familiar face out of the corner, walking towards him.)_

 _ **Lena:**_ _"You did; I just didn't listen." (She walked up and stood beside him.) "Besides, Luthor's don't run from a fight." (Shooting him a determined look as she met his gaze.)_

 _Batman's eyes drifted down to the mechanized orb in Lena's hands, listening to the device pulsating._

 _ **Batman:**_ _ **That device...its emitting some sort of continuous pulse.**_ _(He turns, looking at Croc still on his knees growling and snarling, still fighting against the phantom pain. Suddenly, it hit him.)_ _ **Hypersonics, its the only thing that could...**_

 _Croc suddenly stands to his feet, letting out a tremendous roar loud enough that it caused the glass windows in the two rooms to implode. Batman quickly reacted, rushing over to Lena and using his cape to shield them from the shrapnel of glass spraying towards them. Once clear, Batman lowered his cape and the two looked up to see Croc turning towards them, his face void of any emotion except pure, unfiltered rage._

 _Lena stood there, wide eyed and stricken with overwhelming, paralyzing fear._

 _ **Lena:**_ _(She looks down at the device in her hands, just as it starts shooting out sparks, causing her to drop it to the floor. Her frightened gaze quickly turns to the Dark Knight.) "I'm open to any suggestions."_

 _ **Batman:**_ _(A gust of wind enters through the shattered windows, splashing against his face. He had a idea, a plan, but she wouldn't like it. He continued watching Croc, who was preparing to rush them, but his words were directed at her.) "Hold on tight."_

 _ **Lena:**_ _(Confusion filled her eyes as she looked at him, unsure of what he meant; that is until she remembered the stairwell. It was then that she looked over at one of the many windows.) "Oh you have got to be kidding..." (She stated, less-than-reassured at this on-the-fly plan of his.)_

 _Croc snarled as he charged them, at which time Batman quickly grabbed Lena and the two rushed over to the window and leapt out. Lena wanted to scream, but found herself out of breath as she freefalled for several stories; that is until she once again felt Batman grab her and instinctually she wrapped her arms around his neck. She closed her eyes and for the first time since she could remember, she prayed._

 _Her eyes remained shut as her body tensed, readying for the sudden impact of the pavement below, but it never came; instead, she quickly found that she was no longer falling, but...flying? After taking a breath Lena opened her eyes to find that she was flying...kind of. Batman was using his cape to glide them away, leaving Croc standing in the window; she could hear him roaring into the night as they "flew" away._

 _They glided for several minutes, with Batman occasionally diving down a few meters to gain momentum before rising in the air once more. Gliding through the city, watching as dozens of buildings pass by and the cool rushing of wind on her face; Lena couldn't help but become enthralled by it all._

 _ **Lena:**_ _ **This must be what its like...to fly, like Supergirl. The rush of the wind, the freedom...**_

 _While Lena daydreamed, Batman was using every ounce of strength he had left to stay concious, despite his current condition._

 _ **Batman:**_ _ **My body feels like solid ice. Every nerve, every muscle is screaming out. I...I need to stay awake, just a bit longer.**_

 _Batman scans the building, until he finds the one that he's looking for. He sees a balcony and aims for it, all the while everything starts going numb._

 _ **Batman:**_ _ **Almost there...got...to...**_

 _But it was too late, his body was beginning to betray him, like so many times before, at the worst possible time. They were coming in too fast, he knew and deep down, he knew that she knew it too. Before they knew it, they had smashed through the glass doors and came to rest on the cold tiled floor. He laid there, unable to stay awake as everything suddenly started to dim._

 _ **Lena:**_ _"Don't just stand there...he needs help. Now!"_

 _Those were the last words he heard before everything went silent and everything went to black._

 **Chapter epilogue:**

 **I do hope you all enjoyed this chapter, as I said at the beginning I tried to ground the fight as what I would believe it should be; if any of you have other idea's, either for this chapter or future ones please feel free to leave your thoughts or PM me. I think at the rate that I'm writing and putting out chapters; I'll probably do one more chapter to finish this story. Again if you have any thoughts as to what you would like to see, please feel free to say what's on your mind and as always Thx for you support. Have a Merry X-mas and a Happy New Year.**


	10. The Ever curious (filler chapter)

**Author's Notes:** **Wow ladies and gents it has been a while since I posted anything (almost a year by my count) and for that I'm sorry. Life outside of fanficdom caught up with me and the responsibilities that comes with being an adult. (Ugh I know right, it sucks.) On top of that I had trouble seeing where I wanted to take this story and constant writer's block made it near-impossible for me to start a new chapter.**

 **That being said I made all of you a promise and as Slade Wilson alway's said "I keep my promises kid." So now without further adu or ado or however you say it, here's the next chapter.**

 **DEO Medical Bay** **(present)**

After counting the last of the ceiling tiles for the 8th time, Kara lets out a long yawn, followed quickly by the release of a heavy sigh. There wasn't much else for her to do, not since she's still recouperating from her injuries that she sustained during her dust up with Killer Croc. Aside from the occasional numbing pain pulsating up and down her left side everytime she moved too quickly, she felt fine, yet in spite of this; she knew that she was far from fully recovered.

On top of that her big sister Alex forbade her from going after Croc or any other nonsense until she was fully recovered. Alex went as far as making Kara promise not to do anything reckless like, for instance, going after Croc, until they, meaning J'onn and the D.E.O., had a plan.

Despite her own stubborness, Kara knew that Alex was right and so, she caved, giving in and promising her sister that she would stay put and not do anything foolish. Which brings us to here and now, nearly 2 hours later and her laying on the bed, confined to medical, staring at the tile ceiling and growing more restless by the second. After a few seconds of staring at the tile above, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she quickly rubbed her face, after which she lets out a restless groan.

When she opened her eyes again she slowly began to sit up. A sudden, throbbing pain flared up and down her left side, a clear indication that she wasn't fully healed, still. Placing her elbows underneath her, she used them as support while she took in her surroundings. Out of nowhere, while glancing around the room, Kara started bobbing her head side to side, humming and mumbling lyrics of a song to herself.

 **Kara:** "Hit me baby one more time..."

She continued humming and bobbing her head, that is until her gaze found its way over to the now vacant bed to her left. The bed itself was nothing special and there was nothing out of the norm. The sheets were fresh, the pillows had been tidied up; all in all it appeared that the bed itself had not been touched or used in months, but Kara knew otherwise. A few hours ago the doctor and her medical staff came in to check on James condition.

Kara was beyond relieved when the doctor told her that James was out of the woods and recovering nicely. The good doctor went on to explain that despite being out of danger, that he would still need time for his injuries to heal. Some minutes later, the doctor and staff transferred him to one of the empty Recovery Suites down the hall, where they would monitor him further. As this memory faded from her mind, Kara continued to stare at the empty bed, all the while trying to deal with the mixture of emotions bubbling within.

 **Kara:** (Kara turned her gaze away from the bed, before letting out an exasperated sigh as her stomach twisted, tightening like a noose.) _He should have listened to me. Why, why woudn't he listen? I knew this would happen. I told him that this would..._ (She closed her eyes before taking a deep breathe and exhaling slowly, trying to calm herself down.) _That is not helping anyone Kara just, calm down...everything's fine, James is going to be fine._

After a couple more deep breathes, she tilted her head back and slowly opened her eyes, finding herself once again looking up at the ceiling tiles.

 **Kara:** _Meanwhile, I'm stuck in here while everyone is out there, trying to find that jerk-face Croc-guy._ (She lets out an agitated groan before closing her eyes once again.) _UUGGGHHHHH I'm soooo boooored, I need to do something, anything; other than sitting here, counting the ceiling tiles again...ugh._

Kara lets out a long, exasperated sigh as she opened her eyes; a few moments later she sat up fully, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, leaving them dangling in the air. As she started glancing slowly around the room, she started subtly bobbing her head up and down, while swinging her now crossed feet back and forth. All the while humming the chorus of the song that she just couldn't get out of her head.

Despite taking her sweet time scanning the room, noting the various gadgets, do-dads and whatcha-ma-call-its; eventually her gaze came to rest on the occupied bed, just a few feet from her. Her eyes narrowed on the man, unconcious and recovering, in the bed, the man known to most everyone as Batman. Kara quickly started to eye the vigilante warily, slowly scanning him from head to toe. Without thinking or hesitating, she quickly hopped off the bed and made her way over to his bedside.

As she stood there, towering over the Caped Crusader, while taking in the sight before her; her mouth gaped open slight and her brow scrunched together as she saw truly the state that the vigilante was currently in.

 **Kara:** "By Rao..." (Her words barely registered as a mumble. Seeing him lying there, beaten and bloodied, reminded her of James when she first woke up and saw him; which caused her to cringe ever-so-slightly.)

(Her gaze drifted, until it became fixed on his face, specifically the area where the blood had pooled and dried around his nose and mouth; a moment later, her gaze slowly drifted downward, focusing on the various sites of damage.) _All this...all of it was from Killer Croc._

(Her gaze found its way back to the Dark Knight's face.) _How are you still alive?_

For a few seconds, Kara stood there in silence, her piercing blue eyes scanning the cowl, from the tips of the ears down to his reflective lenes. Suddenly, her brows knitted together in a worrysome fashion as her gaze focused on his left lens, which was cracked and missing one giant piece; a piece big enough that she could see his eyelid twitching back and forth underneath. How or why she didn't notice this earlier she couldn't say, but now, as she slowly leaned in closer; she found herself unable to look away.

 **Kara:** (Kara quickly recognized the motion that his eyelid was performing, which is why a quick and sudden look of shock streaked across her face.) _Is he...dreaming? Wow, that's just...wow._

(Kara found herself enthralled by the idea that Batman, a man who dwell's in the shadows, striking fear in the hearts of criminals; was dreaming.)

 _Hmmm, I wonder...what does someone like Batman dream about? Probably stringing up bad guys and using them as punching bags. Or leaping across rooftops in the pale moonlight._

(Suddenly, a goofy grin streaked across her face.)

 _Or maybe...you're dreaming about puppies wearing those little teeny-tiny capes, rolling around. You big softy._ (A big, goofy grin suddenly plastered across her face as she giggled at the thought.)

The goofy grin slowly started to fade as her eyes drifted down towards the scuffed symbol which brandished across his chestpiece. Kara found herself quickly and thoroughly entranced by it, that she hadn't realized that she was gently skimming the surface with her fingers. Slowly, almost methodically, her fingertips brush across the symbol, specifically across one of many gouges left from the fight with Croc.

Her middle finger stroked down the center of the said gouge, afterwards, she suddenly snapped out of her trance and upon realizing what she was doing, quickly pulled her hand back. The Girl of Steel's cheeks quickly started to turn red, as her eyes quickly glanced around; hoping that nowhere had saw what she was doing. Embarrassed by her action and feeling herself growing more flustered by the second, Kara quickly cleared her throat in a meager attempt to regain some level of composure.

After taking a moment to collect herself and culling her wandering thoughts, she placed her hands on the edge of his bed, using it as support as she leaned against it. Eventually her gaze drifted from the symbol that Batman wore with such pride, back up to his face once more.

 **Kara:** (Mere seconds after uttering those words, an idea, cunning and mischievous, entered her mind. As this single thought occupied her mind, Kara started nibbling on her bottom lip. This was a sign that she was weighing the options before her; should she just walk away and leave the Dark Knight be, or should she use her x-ray vision to catch a peek of the man under the cowl.)

 _I can't do this, no I shouldn't do this, it would be prying...buuut, on the other hand I am a reporter and he is Batman; "The" freaking Batman, what reporter in their right mind wouldn't want to know who it is underneath the cowl._

 _No, no, I'm sure that he has his reasons, good reasons why he wears that cowl. Maybe he's like Oliver; wearing a mask so he can do what he does, so he can protect his city while also protecting those close to him I mean what other explaination could there be. It's not like he's some lunatic who dresses up like a bat, leaps off rooftops and really loves beating up bad guys. Right?_

(She nibbled on her lower lip a bit harder as she continued to deal with conflicting feelings towards the matter.)

 _To peek, or not to peek. That is the question. UGGGHHH I can't I just-I can't, no it wouldn't be right, its not my secret to tell._

(As mischievous thought faded from her mind, she closed her eyes and lets out a heavy sigh while subtly shaking her head. After a few seconds she opened her eyes once more and again her gaze shifted back to Batman.)

(Despite deciding not to use her x-ray vision to peek under ,or more specifically through the cowl, the question still lingered, a buzzing thought that she just couldn't seem to get rid of.)

"Who are you?"

While Kara was busy dealing with and weighing the options on whether to sneek a peek, that she had failed to notice that someone had been standing in the doorway, watching her; that is, until they suddenly spoke in a gristled tone.

"I'm Batman!"

 **Kara:** (Startled, Kara quickly spun around, looking wide-eyed; when she saw a familiar face standing in the doorway, smiling, she let out a relieved sigh.) "By Rao, Maggie..." (The Girl of Steel placed a hand on her chest where she could feel her heart thrumming away.) "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" (She asked in an accusing and aggravated tone.)

 **Maggie:** (She could barely hear Kara over her own chuckling. Between laughs the detective raised her hands in a playful fashion.) "Sorry 'bout that; I just got back and saw you standing there and I just... I couldn't help myself." (She replied, slowly lowering her arms, the smile still plastered on her face.)

 **Kara:** (The Girl of Steel quickly found herself smiling along with Maggie, who was making her way over.) "Couldn't or wouldn't.?" (She said jokingly as Maggie to quickly joined her.)

 **Maggie:** "Guilty." (She said still smiling. As her gaze shifted from Kara to Batman, the smile quickly faded from view.) "Damn." (In the blink of an eye, her chummy and cheery attitude had vanished and was instead replaced with a concern, dread filled look.)

Just like that, her attitude, her demeanor changed in an instant as she eyed the Dark Knight up and down. Her once bright, sunny smile replaced with a look that Kara knew all too well. The detective, her friend just stood there, staring aimlessly at the Dark Knight; looking like she was in some sort of trance. Seeing her friend (which is what she considered Maggie to be.) like this was disconcerting to say the least.

 **Kara:** (Seeing her friend like this, in this state didn't sit well with her. So, she gently placed her hand on Maggie's shoulder, effectively snapping the detective out of her thoughts and back to reality.) "Maggie?" (The detective turned to see Supergirl staring at her; her eyes filled to the brim with concern.) "Are you okay?"

 **Maggie:** (Realizing how she must look, she tried to stow her features, giving the girl of steel a half-smile while nodding slightly.) "Yeah, yeah I'm fine its just..." (A quick glance back at Batman and the NCPD detective felt a familiar feeling rush over her, like deja vu.) "I just...I'll never get used to seeing him like this."

(After a few seconds she looks up and notices Kara looking quizzically at her.)

"I may or may not have patched him up a few times, back when I worked in Special Crimes at GCPD."

Kara eyes widened, a look of utter amazement that quickly streaked across her face. The Girl of Steel suspected that Maggie, being an officer at the GCPD at the time, might've known the Caped Crusader, maybe even had a few run-in's with him. But Maggie's confession proved otherwise, proved that she knew him in a more personel compacity. As thousands of quizzical thoughts and curious questions flooded her mind, Maggie simply gave Kara a mischievous smile as she jerked her head towards the exit.

 **Maggie:** "C'mon, I could use a drink and after the night that you've had, you could too." (She said playfully.)

Kara was surprised by Maggie's offer, which seemed to come out of nowhere. The offer itself was tempting, almost too tempting for even the Girl of Steel; anything would be better than being couped up in here with nothing to do. Despite this, she was hesitant, as she remember the promise that she made to her sister.

 **Kara:** "I-I can't, I'm sorry, Alex made me promise to-"

 **Maggie:** (The detective quickly interjects; it was easy for her to deduce exactly what Alex made Kara promise her.)

"To stay put and stay out of trouble? Yeah I kinda figured." (Kara lets out a sigh, knowing how predictiable her and her sister are; at times, it felt like she knew Alex and Kara better than she knew herself.)

"Look, Alex and J'onn are busy shifting through the evidence from both the warehouse and L-Corp. Winn is busy keeping an eye on Lena and James is still recovering from fighting with Croc."

Kara's brows knitted as a mixture shock and panic wash over her face. Maggie had suspected that Kara knew that James Olsen was the Guardian, and from the look currently frozen on her face she was right.

 **Maggie:** (She held up a hand, stopping Kara before she could stammer some words together.)

"Relax, I've known Olsen was the Guardian for a while now. Don't worry, I can keep a secret." (She stated, giving the Girl of Steel a reassuring smile.)

 **Kara:** (She was so relieved that she didn't even realize that she was holding her breath until she slowly released it. Even so, Kara was still a bit taken back by this new revelation.) "Thanks and its Guardian, no "the" according to James. But, how did you-"

 **Maggie:** (Once more, she interrupts, a mischievious grin streaking across her lips.) "I'm not just a pretty face Kara; I'm actually a pretty good detective too. So...how 'bout that drink?"

 **Kara:** (Despite Maggie's reassurance and her own anxiousness to get out for a bit and stretch her legs; Kara couldn't bring herself to leave.) "I'm sorry, I just...I can't, I'm sorry Mags."

 **Maggie:** (She gave a small nod and lets a slightly dissappointed sigh.) "Okay..." (The detective understood, more than she would like to admit. She turned around and slowly started walking towards the exit, only to stop midway.)

"But, if you were to change your mind..." (She turned around to once again meet Kara's gaze; a small grin creeping across her lips.) "I'd could tell you some stories about the good ol' days. Maybe even tell you a few secrets about a certain Caped Crusader." (A second later and Maggie could see the curiousity behind Kara's big blue eyes finally piqued and she knew that she had her.)

"That is, if you were to change your mind. Aww well." (She quickly turned around and continued walking to the door.) "Catch ya later Danvers." (And just like that, she had her; hook, line, and sinker.)

The smirk plastered on Maggie's face stayed long after she left the room and headed towards the elevators, leaving Kara alone; staring at the exit for a few seconds before looking down at Batman, still resting, still unconcious. It was obivious that Maggie was baiting her, Kara knew as much, but still, in spite of this, the Girl of Steel saw this as a unique opportunity. Not only to satisfy her curiousity as a reporter, but also gain intel on a potential ally, or enemy depending on what mood he's in when he wakes up.

After a quick second of weighing her options, she made a choice, hopefully one that she wouldn't regret.

 **Kara:** (She quickly turns towards the exit.) "Hey Mags..." (She quickly rushes out of the room and down the hall, calling after Maggie, who was waiting by the elevator for her.) "Do we have time for me to change?"

 **D.E.O Central Command**

 **A few minutes later**

Despite the numerous agents scrambling around, performing their assigned tasks, the room itself was surprisingly quiet. While the agents were busy doing their tasks, J'onn J'onzz, Director of the D.E.O and the Last Son of Mars, stands in front of a giant monitor, watching some security footage for the 8th time.

The first few times, he was hoping to find something, some small detail that he might've missed the first 8 times. But now, it was only serving as a reminder that he had failed to stop Jones, who was still out there, on the loose in his city and that annoyed him. The footage itself was short, less than 30 seconds long; it was taken a few hours ago from the security camera hanging above the entrance to L-Corp.

The footage showed Killer Croc, in all his monstrous glory, stomping up to the entrance, only to pause and look up at the camera where shortly after he lets out a monstrous roar before swinging his massive tail, smashing said camera.

As the video ended, J'onn rewinds the video to just a few seconds before Croc took out the camera, then paused it. His eyes quickly fixed on the image of Croc roaring at the camera. He lets out a heavy sigh, just before closing his eyes and dropping his head. A few seconds later, he lifts up his head and opens his eyes just as a familiar face approaches from behind. Glancing to his right, he sees Alex taking a place beside him, looking just as tired and disheveled as him.

 **J'onn:** "Alex." (He says, trying his best to stifle his features, despite the exhaustion starting to settle across his face.)

 **Alex:** (She gave subtle nod, as she glances side-long at the Director.) "J'onn...helluva night huh?" (She said retorically as she flashed a small, brief smile; the Director nodded and smiled in return, before they returned their gazes back to the frozen image on the monitor.)

"What do we have?" (She said anxiously, wanting to find Croc just as quickly as everyone else, perhaps more so for what that monster did to J'onn, Mon-El, Kara, and James. Especially James.)

 **J'onn:** (He takes in a deep breath as he continued staring at the image.) "Agent Schott was able to retrieve surveilance footage from a smashed security camera found just outside the entrance of L-Corp. It shows Jones just a few minutes before the attack on L-Corp. Unfortunately its the only footage we have of him so far."

 **Alex:** (She shoots him a questioning look.) "There's no footage of him leaving the building?"

 **J'onn:** (Slowly he nods.) "None. Its like he just vanished." (His tone held a bit os disdain. He hated not knowing how someone as big and fericious could simply dissappear into thin air. ) "We still have our techs combing the wreckage at the warehouse where we first encountered Jones. They'll notify us the second that they find anything."

 **Alex:** (A slow, steady sigh escapes her lips as she continued staring at the image; noting every detail of this nightmare made flesh.) "Good, we need every bit of intel we can get our hands on if we're going to figure out what Croc's next move is; if he has one..."

(She continued to stare at the image for a few more seconds, trying her best to keep the chills running up and down her spine at bay. After looking away, she turned wholly towards J'onn, a curious look splashing across her face.) "How's Lena holding up?" (Her words filled with a mixture of uncertainty and curiousity.)

 **J'onn:** (He turns away from the screen, towards the senior agent.) "Pretty well, considering." (As he turned even further, he jerked his head subtly to his right, after which the two started walking, making their way through the Command Center.)

 **Alex:** (A small smirk flashed across her face. She wasn't the least bit surprised, having met the CEO of L-Corp more than a few times, she knew just how strong and resilient that woman could be.) "Glad to hear it." (She didn't want to sound so anxious, but with Croc still out there, she just couldn't afford to take it easy.) "Did she give you any new information about Croc? Did he say anything or give a hint as to where he's heading or...who else he may be after?"

 **J'onn:** (They quickly stopped walking, stopping near dead-center of the room. J'onn shook his head.) "Despite being chased by a man-eating psychopath, she did manage to get us something." (After a quick glance around, making sure that there were no other agents withing earshot, he turned back to his senior agent.) "It seems that Jones primary target is Lillian Luthor."

(A splash of confusion washed over Alex's face almost immediately. Seeing this, J'onn continued, explaining his answer.) "It turns out that Jone's initial attack on Lena Luthor was because he was under the assumption that she was working with Cadmus. And that she could lead him to her mother. When Lena tried to run-"

 **Alex:** "He goes on a rampage through L-Corp; chasing her down like she was prey." (She said, finishing J'onn's statement. Alex couldn't even begin to image how Lena felt, being chased down by a monster like Croc. The very thought sent a chill down her spine.)

 **J'onn:** (After a few seconds of silence, the two started walking once more, further away from the Command Center.) "She was lucky to walk away with just a few scraps and bruises. It could have been much worse if our "mutual" friend hadn't shown up." (Alex stopped suddenly, which in turn caused J'onn to stop as well, turning towards the agent.)

(Even without reading her thoughts, which he would never do purposely unless he had a reason to; he could tell that she was somewhat conflicted on the subject of Batman, though much less so than Supergirl was. A few seconds later he cleared his throat, snapping Alex from her thoughts, just long enough for him to ask...)

"Speaking of...How is our guest? Recovering I hope."

 **Alex:** (Suddenly a dishoveled look washed over her face, just as she lets out a long sigh, followed quickly by a exhausted shrug.)

"Honestly J'onn, your guess is as good as mine at this point."

 **J'onn:** (At her answer, his brow furrowed, followed by him crossing his arms in front of his chest; he gave her a confused look.) "I don't understand, I thought you were able to stabilize him."

 **Alex:** "Yeah, but just barely. It took us nearly 15 minutes just to find a pulse to see if he was even alive. Thanks to Lena's help, we were able to find a way to get an I.V past that...tank he calls a suit. But the built-in security systems in the suit are making it next-to-impossible to get off. And until Winn finds a way to hack or get past it, I won't be able know the full extent of his injuries. All we can do now is make him comfortable and wait and see if he wakes up."

(Her words were lined with annoyance, frustration. It wasn't just because Batman's over-the-top paranoia towards protecting his identity was keeping her from saving his life; that was only half of it. The other half, the part of her who trained to save lives, felt helpless by the fact that she couldn't save the man who had saved not only her sister, but also J'onn and others too.)

 **J'onn:** (At this point, J'onn could literally feel her growing concern and frustration eminating off of her. He uncrossed his arms and once more rested them on his hips.) "He'll pull through, trust me when I say that he's been through worse than this. Until then, tell me about Kara and James; how are they recovering?"

 **Alex:** "Well James by far got the worst out of everyone. I counted at least 7 broken bones, 4 cracked ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a fractured skull...but in spite of said injuries he should pull through. He will be bed-ridden for at least 2 more weeks and he'll also need another 3 weeks of physical therapy." (She looked away for a moment, before mumbling under her breath.) "Hopefully that'll be enough time for him to get his head out of his ass."

 **J'onn:** (Despite her attempt to hide it, J'onn could tell that she was beyond annoyed at James for playing vigilante, for putting his life and the lives of others like Winn in harms way. But, deciding that it's best not to get started on the subject of Mr. Olsen's skills as a vigilante or lack there of, he played it down, pretending that he didn't hear her.)

"What was that Alex?"

 **Alex:** (Upon hearing her name, her eye immediately shot back to J'onn's and she quickly backtracked.) "Uh nothing...it's nothing, sorry it's just been a long night." (She flashed a dopey, fake smile before restricting her features and clearing her throat.)

 **J'onn:** (He gave a reassuring nod, before deciding to change the topic.) "Understandable. What about Kara, how's she doing?"

 **Alex:** "Kara? Oh she's umm," (She completely forgot about Kara, about how her and Maggie had decided to go out and now it was up to Alex to tell J'onn. She nervously scratched the side of her head as she continued stammering towards an answer.) "She's actually out...w/ Maggie." (She said, clearing her throat in a poor attempt at remaining cool.)

 **J'onn:** (His eyes narrowed in on Alex, watching intently as she tried her best to school her features, only to fail.) "What do you mean she's "out with Maggie"? Doing what exactly?" (His tone was stern, like that of a father about to scold a child.)

 **Alex:** "They're just out having a few drinks, blowing off some steam that's all J'onn I promise." (The senior agent replied, trying her best to reassure the Director not to worry.) "Look, we both know that Kara was getting anxious just sitting around in medical like that and...we both know what happens when she get's anxious..." (She continued, giving J'onn a knowing look.)

 **J'onn:** (J'onn knew all too well what an anxious Supergirl is capable of, and interated as much.) "She get's sloppy and goes off half-cocked and without a plan, yeah I know."

 **Alex:** (Pleased with her J'onn's answer, she continued to reassure the Director that this course was the current one.) "Yeah. At least this way Maggie can keep an eye on her and make sure that she doesn't do anything reckless."

 **J'onn:** (His jaw clenched as he took in a deep breath, releasing a heavy, slightly annoyed sigh afterwards. Seconds later, he grabs the bridge of his nose and presses it gently before speaking.) "Okay, fine. I hope that your right about this Alex; we can ill-afford to have her go after Jones while she's still recovering. Till then we need to figure out what Jones' next move is."

 **Alex:** (She gives a simple nod, followed by a direct response.) "Yes sir Director."

Just as they were about to start walking an agent suddenly sprints up to them; Agent Vasquez. Between breathes she was able to speak.

 **Agent Vasquez:** "Sir! Ma'am! We uh, have a situation down in medical." (She said, uncertainty filling her words as she glanced between the other agent and the Director.)

 **J'onn:** (He was the first to speak, sensing the urgency washing off of her.) "What kind of situation agent, your going to have to be a bit more specific."

 **Agent Vasquez:** "Director sir it's, um, Batman...he's, gone sir."

 **Alex:** (Her eyes widened at this, her mind wondering how that was even possible, given the level of security on that level.) "Gone?! That's not..." (She quickly turned to J'onn.) "He was half-dead when he came flying in here, there's no way that he just got up and walked away. It's impossible."

 **J'onn:** (He found himself holding back a smirk, using every ounce of self-control to do so. Once he was able to stow his features, he turned to where he could face both agents and explained it simply, yet cryptically.) "When it comes to Batman Agent Danvers, you find that nothing's impossible."

 **Alien Bar - 35 minutes later**

M'gann had just finished cleaning the counter-top, before tossing the bar rag over her shoulder; afterwards she grabbed a tray & started making her rounds, checking on the dozen or so patron's still left enjoying themselves. It had been a long night, long & uneventful; the only exciting thing was on the TV, a news report mentioning some sort of attack at L-Corp, though no specifics were given of course. Other than that tonight had been slow, which M'Gann didn't mind much, even now as she finished clearing off a table, collecting empty mugs before heading back to the bar. Less than a second after setting the tray down on the counter-top, she hears footsteps approaching.

 **M'Gann:** (As she glanced over, a smile flashed across her face as she greeted the two familiar faces.) "Kara, Maggie, good to see you." (She said as the two walked up; both greeting her with smiles.) "Grab a table; I'll be with you in a sec." (She said as she picked up the tray of empty mugs before heading behind the bar.)

As M'gann started putting away the empty mugs, Kara & Maggie looked around, finding themselves a vacant table. After making their way over, Maggie took off her jacket, hanging it on the back of the chair while Kara simply hung her purse on the corner of hers'. Once seated, the two sat there in silence for a few seconds, Maggie looking relaxed despite the night she was having.

Kara meanwhile put on a strong front, looking the least bit content, despite feeling nervous, anxious as well as a storm of other emotions brewing within. Most of all though, she felt excited because not only was she going to get first hand knowledge and intel of the infamous Batman, but also get the makings of a great story; one that Snapper would kill to have.

Kara tried, she really did want to go about it casually, letting the direction of the conversation be more fluid, but her anxiousness and reporter's curiousity got the better of her.

 **Kara:** "So," (She said non-chalantly as she adjusted her glasses a bit, flashing a nervous smile at the detective.) "Okay I have so many questions, first off-" (She never really had good self-control.)

 **Maggie:** (Quickly, almost in a flash, the detective raised her hands, causing Kara to stop before she could blurt out any questions.) "Woah now Kara, take it easy. I haven't even ordered yet."

(She said, playfully as she adjusted, placing one arm over the back of her chair while the other rested on the table.)

"At least buy me a beer before you start interrogating me will'ya." (She stated jokingly as she flashed a playful smile at the Girl of Steel.)

 **Kara:** (She could feel the blood rush to her cheeks. Feeling embarrassed by how she started blurting out, she quickly tried to back-tracked.)

"Sorry, sorry I'm just..."

(Kara tried to find the right words, but her mind seemed to be drawing a blank.)

 **Maggie:** (Lucky for Kara, Maggie could read her like an open book, well, at least enough that she knew what to say.)

"Nervous, anxious."

 **Kara:** "Am I that easy to read?" (She said in a humorous tone.)

 **Maggie:** "Yeah, but don't beat yourself up, I've been doing this a while." (She replied humorusly.)

 **M'Gann:** (Suddenly out of nowhere, M'Gann came over, carrying two glasses; placing the first glass in front of Kara.) "One glass of Club Soda for the Girl of Steel," (Kara flashed a quick smile before thanking M'Gann who returned the smile before placing the last glass in front of Maggie.)

"And one Tennesse Whiskey for the detective." (Once again, M'gann was greeted with a smile, this time from Maggie who quickly followed up with a thank you. Before the martian could ask how they were doing, another patron raised her hand, catching M'Gann's attention.)

"I'll be back in a few, excuse me." (Again she flashed a smile before heading over to the other table to see what the patron wanted, leaving Maggie and Kara alone.)

 **Maggie:** (The ladies took a sip of their respective drinks, before laying them bakc down on the table. Now somewhat satisfied, Maggie looked at Kara and asked.) "Okay then, a deal's a deal. So," (She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, watching Kara's curious gaze light up.) "Where should I start?"

 **Kara:** "Well...how about where all good stories start, at the beginning."

 **Author's Notes:** **Whaaaaat, another cliffhanger? Shocker. Anyway's that's the chapter or what I call a "filler" chapter, meaning I needed to write something, anything to keep the story moving. Hopefully none of you are dissappointed if so let me know and I'll be sure to try and address it. The next chapter will dive into the detective-vigilante relationship a bit betweeen Maggie and Batman.**

 **It will also finally have a reluctant Kara team up with Batman to track down Waylon Jones. And maybe...just maybe there might be a special appearance, who knows. Anyway's on that note I will catch you in the next chapter.**


	11. The Past Haunts us all

**Author's Note: Hey guys and gals, I'm back with another chapter. I am so, so sorry that I haven't been putting out anything for what seems like decades but y'know how it goes; work, life, and all the crap that comes with it. That being said I am proud to announce that we are nearing the end of this little adventure, the next chapter set to be the finale and I'm already working on some ideas. I really do appreciate the reviews, comments, and PM's, letting me know what you think about the story thus far. Now, for some bad news. I think, (think mind you) that I am done watching Supergirl, its just...ugh. I've tried to stick with it guys, really I did but...I'm not sure if I can take another season to be honest. It was all great, til it went into it's mid-season hiatus then; well, shit rolls down hill. And again, honestly, I didn't care for the finale. It was like they took all the worst parts from previous show's finale's (Arrow, Flash, Legends) and just rolled it up into this discount, cluster of a disaster. And James...*sigh* James, James, James. Yeah, that's gonna back fire on him.**

 **Anyways, with my ranting out of the way I really do hope that you enjoy this chapter. It delves into the relationship between Maggie and the Bats and why she is so feverishly hoping for Kara to team up with him to take down Croc. Now, before you star posting in the comments about how Kara calls Waylon Jones, Croc and Maggie calls him by his last name let me explain. I asked a friend of mine, who is a cop, if they would call a suspect by his given last name or by his alter ego. Her response, was, well, what I thought it was (i.e. calling a suspect by their given name.)**

 **Okay, so without further pause, here's chapter 11.**

 ** Side Note: After a lengthy discussion with J'onn J'onzz, I do not own any of the characters written in this story. (Obivously.)**

 **Church**

 **10:48 p.m.**

Tonight had gone about as well as expected, a bit smaller than usual, but Father Micheal didn't complain. In fact, he prefered smaller masses because it allowed him to really talk and personally connect with those few who attended. And now with the night about over, all that was left to do was clean up; it allowed him time to collect his thoughts and gave him time to work on the next day's sermon.

At the moment, he was cleaning up the last pew, replacing pamphlets and placing the bibles back into their holders. Once finished, he went over to the candle rack, enstinguishing the few candles that were still lit. After that, he walked to the center stand and opened the bible resting on top, flipping through a few pages trying to decide which verse he should start tomorrow's sermon with. As he stood there, musing over the pages, a mysterious sound caught his attention.

He looked around, but when he saw nothing out of the norm or out of place, he went back to his pages. A few seconds later he heard yet another noise, but this one was louder and came from the doorway to his right. Curious, he closed the book and made his way over to the doorway; as he peered in, he glanced left then right before looking up the staircase, leading to the room above.

There was a cold, chilling sound drifting down from above, echoing throughout the stairwell. The sound itself made the Father uneasy; reminding him of something that he saw in a horror movie once, which of course did not sit well with him. In spite of his occupation, Father Micheal never believed in the paranormal, ghosts, ghouls, vampires and the like, and yet after spending so many years in Gotham and having seen a great many strange things, some of which would make most nightmares seem pleasant by comparison.

As that chilling thought started to settle in his mind, he suddenly felt something touch his shoulder and in turn caused him to snap around, gasping at what was behind him.

 **Father Micheal:** "Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Sister Alana, I didn't realize you were still here." (He said between exasperated breaths.)

 **Sister Alana:** (She looked at the father, looking just as startled as him. It took her by surprise the way he acted, enough to cause her gasp at him.)

"I didn't mean to startle you Father Micheal. I just wanted to let you know that I finished cleaning up the kitchen and was just about to leave." (The father nodded, but the sister glanced briefly up the staircase, before returning her gaze back to Father Micheal.)

"Is there something a matter Father Micheal?"

 **Father Micheal:** (He glanced back at the staircase, then back at her, trying to heed the fact that she nearly gave him a heart attack.)

"Oh it's nothing sister, probably just the wind blowing open a window again. You know how these places can be sometimes." (He stated with a somewhat sincere smile.)

 **Sister Alana:** (She nodded.) "Okay then, well I'm off. I'll see you tomorrow for morning mass Father." (She said in a gracious tone.)

 **Father Micheal:** "See you tomorrow Sister."

(He said before walking her out. Once she was out, he locked the doors and muttered to himself.)

"Good god, someone needs to put a bell on that woman."

(Upon hearing himself using the lord's name in that text, he looked up and stated.)

"I know, I know. I'll say 10 Hail Mary's before bed. If I make it that far."

Once again he made his way over to the doorway, somewhat hesitant to cross the threshold.

 **Father Micheal:** "Crap." (He muttered to himself before reluctantly crossing the threshold and slowly heading up the stairs to the attic.)

Along the way, he kept muttering to himself, saying a few prayer's, in an feeble attempt to keep him steady and calm. Once he made it to the top floor, he turned to the left, to see the attic door was ajared. As he took a step closer, the door opened ever-so-slightly, but enough that the light eminated from within.

 **Father Micheal:** (He stood there, muttering to himself.)

"That's great, just great. Not spooky at all."

(He looked around, spotting a table positioned against the wall to his right. On said table were a few candles resting inside a single candlestick holder. He quickly removed one candle from it's holder before picking it up by it's top end.)

(Father Micheal swore to never pick up a weapon ever, of course he argued with himself that it wasn't a weapon exactly so techinically it doesn't count. He weighed the holder, bounced it up and down in his hand to feel the balance.)

"Yeah this should do."

(He muttered, as he made his way over to the ajar door.)

His free hand slowly pressed against the door, giving it a gentle nudge causing it to creak open fully. With the door now fully open, he lifted the candle stick up, just in case. His eyes scanned the room before and after he cautiously made his way inside. Nothing seemed outta place at first glance, nothing except the open window at the far end of the room. As he made his way over, he noticed that not only was the window open, but there were more than a few cigarette butts laying on the window sill.

 **Father Micheal:** "For Chr-" (Once more he glanced up briefly.) "Crying out loud."

(He looked down at the butts once again, before setting down the holder and closing the windows, locking them. After a quick sigh he mumbled to himself.)

"Sister Agnes really needs to cut back on the smoking, or at least lock the damn window up when she's done puffing."

(He creased his shirt before turning around to head back down stairs; only to find another unexpected surprise standing before, giving him quite the fright.)

"JESUS CHRIST!" (There before him, Batman, scaring the poor soul out of Father Micheal, and aggravating him in the process, and yet none of which seemed to quell his humor.)

"You do know we have a front door right?And now I gotta say 20 Hail Mary's, so thanks for that. And you know when I said stop by anytime I didn't mean-"

(He stopped when his eyes finally settled on the Caped Crusader; the father saw the shape he was in, watched as the vigilante clenched his side, listened as his breathing grew heavy.)

"This is probably a dumb question but are you alright son?"

(Less than a second after uttering the last word, the Dark Knight collasped first dropping to his knees before falling forward. Luckily, the father was quick for his age, and caught him before he hit the floor. Father Micheal held him and watched as Batman fought to stay conscious, only to fail. There he was, holding an unconscious Dark Knight in his arms. He glanced up once more and said to the unseen force that he prayed to.)

"Well, shit."

 **Alien Bar**

M'Gann was behind the bar, reaching underneath and pulling out two bottles, one filled with an amber colored liquid while the other was clear. She did all of this while having her phone pressed between her shoulder and ear. In the last hour, she has tried calling the new bartender, Bruce, 4 times only to find herself wanting. Every call was sent directly to voicemail, every single one. Normally, M'Gann would think nothing of it, but after watching the news and listening to the havoc going on over at L-Corp, her concern was quickly growing.

filling up one of two ice-filled glasses currently sitting on the counter. , one with whiskey the other with club soda; while filling the glasses, she had her cell phone pressed between her shoulder and ear.

 **M'Gann** : (She started placing the drinks on the tray, waiting for her call to be sent to voicemail, just like the 4 times prior. And just like the times before, she left a message after the beep.)

"Hey Bruce it's me, M'Gann calling...for the 4th time. I had hoped that you got my last 4 messages but in case you didn't; don't worry about your shift tonight. You're not fired or anything it's just..."

(Her eyes shoot over to the tv sitting on the counter to her right; the local news showing images of a building and police quardining off the area.)

"It's getting dangerous to be out so stay home and off the streets 'til this whole thing blows over. Stay safe 'kay. Bye."

(As she tapped the screen of her phone, she couldn't help but have this dreadful feeling that something was wrong. In the end she shoved her cell into her back pocket and gathered up the tray with the two drinks. There wasn't much for her to do but to focus on her task and hope that her new bartender was simply sleeping off a hangover and not doing something reckless. If she only knew.)

M'Gann was the very definition of the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover." On her homeworld, Mars, there were two types of martians, white and green; the two were constantly at war with one another, a war which eventually ended with the mass extinction of the green martians, with the exception of one, J'onn J'onzz.

The white martians are well-known for their ferocity and hostillity towards what they consider lesser races, such as the green martians. These traits became evident during the war, with most white martians showing no remorse and little-to-no compassion towards anyone not their own.

But M'Gann, a white martian herself, was different and in many ways was more of akin to that of a green martian, both emotionally and spiritually. Unlike most of her people, M'Gann never saw her emotions as a weakness, in fact she believed wholeheartedly that it was her emotions that made her strong, not weak.

This is the reason why she cared so much for others, like Kara, J'onn and the rest; even those that she barely knew outside of the bar, like a certain bartender with a very complicated night life. After taking a moment to calm her mind, she picked up the tray and walked over to the table where her friends, Kara and Maggie, were currently sitting. As she approached, Maggie finished off the last bit of whiskey in her glass, before moving it out of the way.

 **M'Gann** : "Hey there ladies; sorry about the wait." (She said, flashing a quick smile as she started placing the fresh glasses in front of the two; whiskey for the NCPD detective Maggie and the club soda for the Girl of Steel herself, Kara.) "So, what brings two of National City's finest here this evening?"

 **Maggie** : (Both the detective and reporter share a look, however brief, before the detective gave a vague answer.) "Just relaxing, having a few cold ones and blowing off some steam." (She said, taking a sip of her fresh whiskey.)

 **M'Gann** : "I see. Rough night huh?" (Even without using her telepathy, she could see that the two looked tired, worn out; not that she would read their minds or invade their privacy, not without permission of course.)

 **Kara** : "You have no idea." (She replied humorlessly, knowing better than anyone that it was a long, tiresome night. In fact, she was still reeling from her fight from earlier. Her side was still throbbing, making her uncomfortable and caused her to shift in her seat.)

 **M'Gann** : (M'Gann met Kara's gaze steadily, her eyes analyzing the Girl of Steel carefully. The martian could tell, even without reading Kara's mind, that she was in physical pain, though she didn't know how severe.) "This, rough night...wouldn't have anything to do with whatever thing attacked L-Corp earlier tonight would it?" (She asked curiously, shooting sideways glance at Maggie.)

With everything going on, Kara had completely forgot about that; glancing past M'Gann, at the tv behind her, which was replaying the footage of the damage left in Croc's wake. Deep in the pit of her stomach Kara felt a mixture of guilt and rage. She wasn't able to be there to protect her friend Lena from the ferocious monster. The first encounter with Croc left her beaten, and unconcious; while she recovering at the DEO, Lena was left vulnerable and that made her furious.

She had never felt so weak, so useless. As luck would have it, a certain, aquaintance of Maggie's showed up and saved Lena from Croc and brought her to the DEO, inspite of his injuries. Part of her couldn't begin to fathom someone, anyone could withstand such a beating, and continue fighting, despite the pain and injuries suffered.

 **Kara** : (She quickly snapped from her thoughts and back to the conversation at hand. Kara debated whether or not to tell M'Gann what was going on, or how much she was actually allowed to tell, given how it was still an open NCPD and DEO investigation.) "It's...*sighes* complicated. But don't worry, J'onn, Alex, Winn...everyone is working on it so, there's no need to worry. Everything will work itself out."

(She said softly, confidently as she flashed M'Gann a reassuring smile.)

 **M'Gann:** (The martian could see through Kara's attempt at being coy, but remained silent, deciding not to push further.) "That's great to hear."

(Before she could say anything else, a customer at the bar called out to her. She glanced back, jerking her head slightly, signaling that she'll be over in a moment. Her gaze fell upon the two once again.)

"Sorry, duty calls. You ladies take it easy now, 'kay?"

(She started to walk away, but stopped after one step, turning back towards Kara.)

"Oh and Kara,"

(The Girl of Steel glanced up expectedly, and once more the martian gave her a smile before saying reassuringly.)

"If you need help or an extra hand, you know where to find me."

(She stated confidently, giving the Girl of Steel a smile of her own.)

M'Gann's offer brought a sincere, bright smile to Kara's face. She was grateful and honored to have friends that were willing to help, to put themselves out there for her, even at a moment's notice. Winn, Alex, J'onn, James, Lucy, even Maggie and now M'gann; at times she felt blessed to know such individual's and was grateful to have met them and couldn't even begin to imagine her life without any of them. After nodding her thanks, M'Gann left to attend to the other customer, once again leaving Kara and Maggie to entertain themselves.

A few seconds pass and an uncomfortable silence started to settle between the two, Maggie watching Kara who was once again lost in her thoughts; dwelling on the events of the night and her failures.

 **Maggie** : (The detective watched as Kara started to get lost in her thoughts, oblivious to anything else around her; more than likely feeling sorry for herself. Maggie knew that she needed to say something.) "Hey Kara, earth to Kara..."

(Her words snapped the reporter from her thoughts, her piercing blue gaze meeting Maggie's brown doe-like gaze.)

"You're supposed to be relaxing and drinking; having fun, not..."

 **Kara** : "Being gloomy?"

 **Maggie:** "Brooding. It's not really your thing." (She said playfully.)

 **Kara:** "Ughh I know, I know and I want to relax I really do; it's just-" (She had been distracted most of the night, racking her brain over the events that happened earlier and it was starting to show; one in particular she found very difficult get out of her head.)

"I just keep thinking about Lena, about how I wasn't there when Croc came for her, tearing up L-Corp to get to her. By Rao she must've been terrified. If anything had happened to her because I wasn't there-" (She stopped herself, luckily before she said out loud what she was thinking.)

 **Maggie:** "Kara, don't go there." (She said in a stern yet soft-spoken tone.)

"It does no one any good, especially you, going through what-if 's or a worse case scenario. You need to stop beating yourself up about something that was out of your control. Remember, she's alive and safe; everything worked out."

 **Kara:** (Listening to Maggie reassure her comforted her, if only somewhat. Still, she was right, Lena was safe as were the others and deep down, despite her own mixed feelings, she knew who to thank for that.)

"Yeah, all thanks to...well, you know." (She stated, her tone filled with a mixture of grimace and sarcasm.)

 **Maggie:** "Yeah well that's kinda his thing." (She stated, a knowing smirk streaking across her face.)

"He has this...uncanny ability of showing up to save the day when you least expect it." (Maggie took a sip from her glass while Kara flashed a sad smile, before her eyes drifted down at her glass.)

The two sat there for a moment, still and quiet as silence settled once more. The detective studied Kara, her expressions, features and body language; it was the same technique that she used when interrogating suspects, but unlike them, Kara was easy enough to read. Though she didn't need her honed detective skills to know that the CatCo reporter still wasn't willing to throw a little trust Batman's way.

 **Maggie:** "You know, I can't shake this feeling that, despite saving Lena, J'onn, James, Mon-El and you,"

(Kara frowned at Maggie, looking somewhat offended by the suggestion that she needed saving. She went to object, but Maggie simply raised her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly to the right, cutting her off.) "Nah uhh, don't even, you and I both know that if he hadn't showed up when he did, things could have gotten a lot worse."

(Kara sat there, frozen with the same expression still plastered on her face. Some seconds later, the look faded a little as she leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of her club soda. She didn't want to admit it, but she knew that if Batman didn't intervene when he did it could have been worse, alot worse...still, she wasn't about to admit.)

"You still don't trust him do you?"

 **Kara:** (Maggie couldn't have known how true her statement was, that inspite all that he had done, for her and her friends she still couldn't bring herself to trust him. There was still so much she didn't know about him, too many questions left unanswered for her to just trust him blindly.)

"Look Maggie I want to, believe me I do and I really do appreciate his help with Croc and him protecting Lena it's just..."

(She paused for a moment, trying to find the proper words to illiustrate her feelings towards the Dark Knight.)

"There's just something...off about him, you know? Like I-I got this intense vibe from him. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it."

 **Maggie:** (She could see that Kara was having difficulties with this whole situation and didn't blame her for feeling the way that she did. It kind of reminded of the old days, back in Gotham. Still, this was the reason she invited Kara out in the first place, to give her some sort of assurance that Batman was on their side.)

"Look, I know that he comes off a little intense,"

 **Kara:** "Just a little?" (She said jokingly, trying to hide how flustered she truly was about this whole conversation.)

 **Maggie:** "But believe me when I say that despite his methods or what they say about him in the papers that deep down; underneath all that kevlar and cowl, is a good man. Plus, you two are alot alike."

 **Kara:** "What?" (She scoffed, trying her best to hide her disdain at Maggie's statement.) "We-me and him have nothing at all in common."

 **Maggie:** "Is that right?" (She raised her right hand, using it as a visible cue for Kara to follow.)

"You both work outside the confines of the law in order to catch criminals that most local law enforcement can't or are unable to handle. There's the fact that the both of you hide your true identities from the public, then there's the fact that the two of you have an affinity for wearing capes and not just as an accessory piece. And lastly, both of you, in your own ways, inspire people, for better or worse. Need I go on?"

(Now that she was finished, she felt a swell of pride wash over her for which she took yet another sip of whiskey.)

Deep down, Kara knew that Maggie was right and that in their own, unique way, they weren't dissimilar; though their methods for accomplishing their goals were world's apart, they still had the same goal. Still, inspite of everything that Maggie had laid out before her, she still couldn't bring herself to trust him. She was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and maybe, eventually she could learn to trust him like Maggie does, or Clark.

After all, from all accounts, when her cousin first met the Dark Knight they didn't exactly get along, in fact one could say that they got off on the right foot, at least that's what Kal/Clark told her.

Though, he never said, Kara assumed that in working together they got to know one another and in the process found some sort of common ground. Kara knew that in order to take down Killer Croc, to figure out what happened to him and how he got so strong, she would need to work with him. As allies, as partners.

Yet, if they were going to work together, she needed to know more about him, know more about the man behind the cowl. It was the only way for this team-up could possibly work, even if it's only temporary.

 **Kara:** "Okay fine, I'll...concede that we may have some similarities but still...How can I put my trust in someone who is that intense?"

(She said, meeting Maggie's steady gaze with her own.)

 **Maggie:** (Kara had a valid point, the detective could see as much; knowing from experience how intense Batman could truly be. Still it wasn't like Kara hadn't worked with people like that before.)

"Didn't you work with someone similiar to DK not too long ago? From that other earth, Green Bullet or something?"

(It wasn't often that she had trouble remembering names, but she was still grasping at the concept of multiple earth's, plus, trying to remember every superhero's name was exhausting.)

 **Kara:** (After taking a sip of her club soda, Kara corrected Maggie on Oliver's alter-ego.)

"Mmm, Green Arrow not Bullet. He doesn't use guns, I think?"

(Honestly during the whole Invasion thing with the Dominator's, she only met Oliver briefly. Part of her wanted to know more, but he was a bit stand-off-ish, keeping his distance from her. She figured it was because they had just met, and even Barry said it took Oliver a little time to open up to newcomers.)

"And okay yes he was somewhat intense in the beginning and maybe, a little rude, but he eased up at the end and we became friends...I think? It's kind of hard to tell he has this stoic look on all the time."

(The two shared a smile, Kara taking another sip of her drink while Maggie inhaled deeply.)

"Mags, I really, really do want to work with him and we could use his help but...How do I know that he won't just completely lose it and cross the line and kill Croc?"

 **Maggie:** "Kara, believe me when I say that you can trust him not to cross that line. He wouldn't. It'd go against one of his rules."

 **Kara:** "Rules?" (She asked quizzically.)

 **Maggie:** "Yeah he has alot and I mean...alot of rules, but the basic ones are simple enough. No guns. No killing. And you know what? Not a single fatality. Sure a few broken bones here and there but he has never once killed anyone. You gotta admire a guy with principle's like that."

 **Kara:** "Well that's something I guess..."

(As the conversation started to settle and silence once again started to settle between them, Kara, being the ever-curious reporter, had one last question to ask.)

"I have to ask...I mean you trust and defend him so...feverishly that I just..."

(She searched her mind for the words; in the end she asked, plain and simply.)

"Why is it that you have so much faith in him? Why do you trust him so much?"

 **Maggie:** (The detective lets out a heavy sigh as she stares at her glass, only to notice that there were only a few swigs left inside.) "It's hard to explain and a long story." (She stated in a heavy tone.)

 **Kara:** (The Girl of Steel leaned forward a bit.) "Well I'm officially clocked out and off the job so I've got the time. Besides isn't that why we're here?"

(She said teasingly. Kara could tell from the look plastered across the detective's face that she was a bit trepid. The reporter figured that her friend was likely worried about saying too much or giving something away that she shouldn't have. But...Kara being who she was, reassured her friend otherwise.)

"Look Maggie, I just want to understand him, to see him the same way that you do. And I promise that what you tell me, stays between us; until you say otherwise."

 **Maggie:** (Letting out a heavy sigh once more she finally conceded, knowing it was probably the only way to get her to work with Batman. If it'd help get these two on the same page she had to try, right?)

"Okay, from the beginning, right?"

"Well first off, you should know that I wasn't always a supporter of his. In fact, early on in my career at GCPD, I was actually part of a joint-task force; formed specifically to hunt down and take him down. Dead or Alive."

 **Kara:** (Her eyes widened, her mouth gaped open slightly as shock and surprise splashed against her face like a tidal wave.) "Wow, okay. I-I wasn't expecting that."

 **Maggie:** "Yeah well looking back on it now, it was probably the stupidest thing that I have ever done."

 **Kara:** "If that's the case then, why did you join?"

 **Maggie:** "I was young. Wanted to make a name for myself. I wanted to be the one that took down the terrifying Dark Knight of Gotham. But fate it seems, had other plans." (She said, a hint of humor in her tone.)

 **Kara:** "What do you mean?"

 **Maggie:** (She could tell that Kara had quickly became enthralled with the story within the first few seconds. It that curious glean in her eyes, it was easy enough to spot. It took everything the detective had to hold back a smirk.)

"I was part of the task force for 3 years give-or-take. During that time I had seen and heard some things that made me start to question the validity of the task force. What it's true purpose was."

(Kara wanted to ask a question, a series of questions in fact, but she held back and remained silent; letting Maggie continue uninterrupted.)

"Against my partner's and my captain's advice I started my own investigation into the task force and found some...pretty disturbing connections."

 **Kara:** (Kara suddenly perked up.)

"What sort of connections are we talking about here?"

 **Maggie:** "The kind that involves certain figures and affiliante's of organized crime."

(Kara's eyes widened, and mouth the word "wow". Maggie continued.)

"Yeah, I found a slew of evidence; everything from bribery, payoff's to jury tampering, extortion the list goes on and only gets worse."

 **Kara:** "How much worse?"

 **Maggie:** (She inhales deeply before answering in a heavy tone.) "I found some evidence suggesting that a few member's of the task force were involved in a few cold cases. Missing person's mostly."

 **Kara:** "Missing persons, as in..." (Maggie gave her a simple look and she knew. Missing persons was Maggie's subtle way of saying murdered. A tsunami of emotions swirled inside, not knowing what to make of this. She had heard that Gotham could be a rough place, but she couldn't imagine that it was ever this bad. Kara shook her head and looked back at Maggie.)

"I don't understand, why didn't anyone report any of this? I mean there had to be witnesses, reporters, what about other cops, honest cops-"

 **Maggie:** "At the time most of the reporters were on the payroll and they swept it all under the rug. As for witnesses well, they were either threatened or paid to keep their mouth shut; the same for the few honest cops at the GCPD, with a few exceptions. Anyone who tried to come forward would dissappear or be found a few days later floating face-down in Gotham Bay."

 **Kara:** (Her head dropped for a moment, subtle shaking back and forth for a few seconds before raising it up again.)

"By Rao; I knew-I mean I heard that it had it's issues, but this. I couldn't even begin to imagine what that was like."

 **Maggie:** "Yeah well that's the thing about Gotham City; she's like a living, breathing thing. When she's in a good mood, things are great and you can't imagine being anywhere else, but when she's not in a good mood...And she hasn't been in a good mood for a long time, not since the Wayne's murder. Nowadays though, from what I hear Gotham isn't as...dark as it was."

"Anyways, back to the story. I followed every piece of evidence, every lead that I could find, and doing my best to hide my investigation into the task force from my squadmates. Those that I didn't trust. Eventually I had gathered what I thought was enough evidence to put most members of the task force away for a good long while. I told the two people I trusted the most, my partner Adrian Sanchez and my captain."

"Neither were very happy that I had kept this from them and both agreed that it was too dangerous to tell anyone else about. They wanted to take the evidence straight to the DA, but me; I believed that we should take it up the chain of command, to Commissioner Loeb.

See, my dad, he used to work with Loeb when they were rookie's in blue. They road the streets together, became detective's together, but somewhere down the road they lost touch, stopped talking to one another.

Still, I figured I owed it to Loeb, the man who put me on the task force in the first place, taught me how to work the streets, so I had to tell him. In hindsight, I should've listened to my partner and captain and gone straight to DA. But I thought that I knew better, thought I was better."

 **Kara:** (Kara read between the lines, pieceing it all together; her eyes widened when she reached the conclusion.) "Commissioner Loeb was dirty."

(Her words were stoic, but true nonetheless.)

 **Maggie:** "See, we'll make a detective outta you yet." (She replied sarcastically, trying to hide the feeling of shame behind a veil of sarcasm.)

"Yep, turns out that good 'ol Commissioner Loeb had been working for the Falcone's for years. As soon as we were done talking, he ran straight to them about the evidence that I gathered."

"I could feel something was off the moment I walked into the diner; there was...it just didn't sit right with me. But, once again, I chose not to listen to my gut and of course I walked right into it anyway, just like a rookie."

 **Kara:** "Maggie, you couldn't have known." (She said softly, trying to reassure and comfort her friend.)

 **Maggie:** "Yeah well I should've. Everything I had on every dirty cop on the task force; witnesses, testimonies, evidence the works I handed it right over, without a second thought. When all was said and done, he asked if I would testify before a grand jury, and of course I said yes."

"His last words to me were _"It's a shame, you're poor old man's gonna be heartbroken."_. Next thing I know, I feel this sharp pain in my neck then...nothing but black."

"I woke up a few hours later, hands cuffed, dangling from a meat hook in some slaughterhouse. I was grogy, cold, terrified, my vision...everything was blurry. It took a moment for my vision to clear and when it did..."

(She felt a lump form in her throat. It happens everytime she thought back to that night, that moment. For better or worse, that night was sheered into her mind and would stay with her, always.)

 **Kara:** (This was a first for Kara. She had seen many sides of Maggie since she came into their lives. Her brazeness, her fearlessness, but this was new, it was something that she had never personally seen before, only hearing about it second-hand from Alex. Seeing Maggie be so open, so vulnerable, with so much pain behind her words; it broke her heart.)

"Look, it's okay really, you don't have to say anymore-"

 **Maggie:** "No, it's...I need you to hear this, but you can't tell anyone, not even Alex; at least not until I do."

( Kara remained silent for a few seconds before nodded.)

"My partner, Sanchez, was an honest cop, a good man; had a wife and 2 little girls who adored him. He was the best partner I could've asked for. When I woke up...I saw him...hanging there, upside down...with his throat cut; his blood pooled underneath him."

 **Kara:** (She placed fingers on her lips, trying to hide the mortified look that had splashed across her face.)

"By Rao, Maggie I'm so sorry. He didn't deserve that, no one deserves that." (Her tone was filled with sorrow, and digust.)

 **Maggie:** "Yeah." (She said, bitterness seeping into her voice as she took one last swig from her glass, finishing off the whiskey inside.)

"So there I was, dangling there, staring at my friend in that...state. I tried freeing myself but I was still weak from whatever they drugged me with." (Her face twinged ever-slightly; it was quick but Kara spotted it easy enough though she remained silent about it.)

"Then in walks the one and only Victor Zassz; one of Falcone's more notorious hitman, known for his...brutal methods. His body count is in the hundreds; men, women, children it didn't matter to him. He has these uhh, scars all over his body. Each one represents a kill. He had a fresh one for on his neck for...Sanchez." (She pointed to an area on her neck, illustrating where it would be on Zassz.)

"He said that he had a very, special place for mine. I could feel the cold, steel edge of his knife when he brushed it gently down the side of my cheek."

 **Kara:** (Kara's throat went dry, as she tried to imagine this horrifying scene playing out in her head. She couldn't help but think, what she would have down in that position? Being powerless, at the mercy of some psycho. She shook this thought off and looked back at Maggie.)

"What-what did you do?"

 **Maggie:** (A small smirk formed, streaking across her lips.) "The only thing I could think of. I waited till he got close enough and gave him a nice little headbutt, broke his damn nose. He stumbled back, ended up slipping on the blood, falling on his ass. That, bought me just enough time free myself."

"My service weapon had mysteriously vanished, so there was only one thing that I could do. I ran and hid. He laughed and laughed. Threatened; promised to kill me slowly, to make the pain last for days." (She felt a slight chill course down her spine, not enough to make her shiver, but enough for her to shudder a bit.)

"All the door's were locked and of course, he had the only key. So I waited to make my move; managed to sneak past him and make my way back around to the cooler. I saw Sanchez's gun on the counter beside him and I went for it. But Zassz...he had other plans."

 **Kara:** (The Girl of Steel sat there, completely horrified yet enthralled at the same time, so much so that she almost didn't realize that she spoke.) "What happened next?"

 **Maggie** : "We struggled for a bit. I got a couple good hit's on him, but he ended up slashing me across my back and the back of my leg. Before I knew it, I was on the ground, looking up at Zassz thinking..."Is this it? This is how I die?" For the first time in I-don't-know how long, I prayed; prayed for anyone to save me."

(Her hand clenched briefly around the glass, tightening slowly to the point that she thought it was about to break. Eventually she loosened her grip and looked up at Kara.)

"And, I'll give you one guess as to who answered." (She said a small prominent smile flushed across her face.)

 **Kara:** (She smiled back as she nodded, already knowing the answer.) "Let me guess, tall, dark, wears a cape and dresses like a bat."

(The two share a soft chuckle, then something struck her as odd about the whole scenario, enough that it made her ask,)

"But wait, how did he even know where you were?"

 **Maggie:** "Well it turns out that he has a few friends of his own on the force, but one in particular put him on my trail. My Captain, James Gordon. Turns out the two had been working together for years and no one knew or had any idea. Gordon mentioned me a few times to him in passing.

Told him that I was one of the few honest cops left in Gotham, so when Batman heard I was missing he must've known that it wasn't a good sign. Which is why he paid a little visit to good 'ol Commissioner Loeb, got him to spill his guts on where I was being kept."

(She chuckled at the thought of Batman, standing over a cowering Loeb, and Loeb trying so hard not to piss himself. It brought a smile to her face every time.)

"So there he was, out of nowhere and in the flesh, the Batman. Standing between me and Zassz, like some guardian angel clad in black. Zassz didn't stand a chance against him; DK took him down, in 5 moves. After that, once the threat was neutralized, he cuffed Zassz to a table, then came to check on me."

"Don't tell anyone this, especially Alex, but, at that moment, I was kind've having a fangirl moment, just a bit. I mean, how could I not, right? After he made sure I was alright he went to cut down Sanchez. He took special care not to..." (She remember how she watched Batman carefully cut down Sanchez, laying him gently on the ground. Afterwards, he grabbed her partner's jacket and covered him; he knelt there for a few moments, his hand gently laying on her partner's chest. His way of paying respects she figured, honoring a fallen officer.)

"I was so...full of rage. Sanchez didn't deserve that, and I wanted to make Zassz pay for it. I grabbed Sanchez's gun, pulled back the slide and pressed the barrel against that murdering pyscho's head. Batman, of all people, told me not to don't, that killing him wouldn't bring Sanchez back, wouldn't bring any of the other's that he's killed.

"Zassz deserved to die, no question; I knew it, he knew it and Batman knew it, and still... I was seconds away from pulling that trigger Kara."

 **Kara:** (She could see the conviction in her friend's eyes; she knew that Maggie would have killed him, instantly and yet she didn't. Part of her figured that Batman stopped her somehow, but still she was curious.)

"What stopped you?"

 **Maggie:** "More like who. Batman. He told me that if I killed him, then the number of murder's in the room will remain the same; I would simply be taking his place and told me that I was better than that. That I was better than Zassz and that if I pull that trigger; that Gotham would lose another honest cop that night." (She felt a tear forming, but brushed her eye, collecting it before it could fall.)

"He said that if I truly wanted to honor my partner, to honor his family and the city that he swore to protect; that I needed to make a choice, a choice that would change my life forever."

(She looked down at her empty glass, stared at the single drop that was left inside.)

"Damn him if he wasn't right. I lowered the gun...and less than a second later Gordon and his own special task force busted in. When I turned around, Batman had vanished, no trace of him anywhere."

 **Kara:** (Kara could still feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins, the story was not one that she was expecting, but still it gave her a new appreciation for Maggie and what it took for her to get here, to this point. It also gave her a new outlook on Batman and what he does and why he does it.)

"Well, I'm sure I can speak for Alex when I say that...we're both glad that you made it through that. And that you're all the stronger for it."

 **Maggie:** "If Batman wasn't there to convince me, I would have pulled that trigger. I would have given into that hate, that rage that was boiling inside. That is why I owe him everything, not because he stopped me from killing Zassz."

"But because...he showed me that it takes true strength to show mercy to someone like Zassz; to not give into all that rage, that hate, that fear. Doing so only makes you as bad as them. And I don't envy him you know, doing what he does night in and night out."

 **Kara:** (Her brow crinkled and her head tilted a bit to the left as she stared at Maggie, confused.)

"What does that mean?"

 **Maggie:** (She took a deep breath, slowly exhaling as she leaned forward.)

"You see, the way Gordan explained it to me...Is that there is this thin line, somewhere between good and bad, hero and villain. This grey line, it's like a wall. And Batman, he stands guard on that wall, trying to keep the good, honest people from falling over to the otherside. Now he does falter from time to time, I mean he's far from perfect, but he keeps at it. He stands up there, day after day, night after night, taking point, making his stand against the darkness. Sometimes alone, sometimes...he has a little help."

 **Kara:** (She leaned back a bit, never thinking about it in that way, how it must feel to be at this alone, for so long, fighting against impossible odds, alone. Hearing all of this, what Maggie went through, her experience with the Dark Knight had given her a new outlook when it comes to how she views him and what he does.)

"I honestly never thought about it like that. I can't imagine doing what I do without J'onn, Alex, Winn, James, you."

 **Maggie:** "Well, Gordon used to tell me that you never know your true strength and what your capable of, until you're tested."

 **Kara:** (A small smile shot across her face.) "This Gordon sounds like a quite the philospher."

 **Maggie:** (The detective couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that, as he tried to imagine Commissioner Gordon, wearing robes like the philospher's of old.)

"I don't know about that, but he is one helluva cop. And makes one helluva Commissioner too."

 **Kara:** (The dreadful atmosphere that acculmilated druing Maggie's story had dissipated and was replaced with a more cheerful one. After a few seconds, a though struck Kara out of nowhere.)

"So wait, whatever happened with Zassz, and the evidence that you collected against the task force?"

 **Maggie:** (Once more a smile appeared, only this was bigger than those previous.)

"Well, Zassz took quite a beating from Batman. Dislocated shoulder, busted jaw, cracked skull and he broke both his hands too." (She watched as Kara's eyes widened as she listed off Zassz's injuries.)

"Trust me, he got off easy. As for the evidence, well... a concerned citizen gave it all to DA O'Donnell and Ward; the only two honest, legit lawyer's in Gotham City. With Mayor Keaton and Councilman West backing them, most of the task force was arrested, indited, and sentenced, including Loeb. Most were given reduced sentences in exchange for information on the current crime families running Gotham's underworld, but hey. A win's a win."

 **Kara:** (The reporter folded her arms in front of her chest as a smiled at Maggie.)

"Let me guess, Batman got the evidence from Loeb and gave it to the D.A."

(Maggie didn't comment, giving only the slightest shrug, which was enough of an answer for Kara.)

"You know, I think I'm starting to like this Dark Knight."

 **Maggie:** (A mixture of shock and amusement splashed across her face.) "Really?"

(Suddenly, out of nowhere an image of Supergirl, fist on her hips, poseing on a rooftop with Batman crouched beside her, brooding in the moonlight above. Like something one would see on the cover of a comic book.)

"Just imagine. Batman and Supergirl, World's finest team-up." (She teased.)

 **Kara:** (Maggie's words caused an image to form in Kara's mind, similar to Maggie's but different which in turn caused her to chuckle.) "Okay yeah we're a real Dynamic Duo."

 **Maggie:** (She made a smacking sound with her lips, before saying,)

"Yeah that one's already been taken."

(She mouthed the words sorry playfully and once more the two share a laugh and continued to enjoy the rest of their evening.)

 **Ending Notes:** **So how did you like it? Did you catch any of the easter eggs that I put in? Let me know in the comments/reviews what you think; if I should've done this or that or even what you would like to see in the next chapter. Until then, I will catch you all L8r. Bye.**


	12. STORY UPDATE

**Hey guys and gals, what's happening. So I know what you're thinking, you're thinking that, like so many other's who've done this; that I'm announcing that I'm done writing this story, well...you are WRONG. In fact I currently writing on it as we speak, however (not a but) I've decided that I've spent way too much time on a single story, that and the fact that my interest in it is waning a bit. So, i have decided to move on and start writing on my other stories that I really wanna get started on.**

 **Don't worry, I will keep writing this particular story until it's finished, but it might take longer to post chapters, but I will post chapter's when I feel like writing on this story.**

 **Now a Big announcement. I am currently going to start writing on 2 Marvel inspired stories, one that is a sequel to my Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. story and the other will be a Defender's story. I'm also thinking about maybe-MAYBE- writing a Winn-centric Supergirl story, IDK but we will see.**

 **And with that, I want to thank all of you who have followed this story and me I really appreciate it, as well as the many comments & PM's that you have left, good and bad.**

 **Thanks again for your support and hopefully I'll have something for you soon. Til then, L8R's.**


	13. In Plain Sight

**Author's** **note:** **Hey ppl what's happening, I hope you all have had a great New Year so far. It's been a while since I posted anything, been busy with outside life & all that, still I wanted to post something so here it is. It's mainly a filler chapter and I also wanted to make it longer, and maybe get a bit further but I've just been stumped by writer's block plus my other projects have kept me from really getting into this. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this ch and as always let me know what you think about it, whether its good or bad and also let me know what you would like to see in the next chapter. Again I hope you enjoy & i'll catch ya's all l8r.**

 **Place: Gotham City**

 **Crime Alley**

Once again he finds himself back here; standing in the same spot he has stood numerous other times, staring down the same alley, the infamous Crime Alley; dressed in a black overcoat with a pair of roses in his hand. It was here, in this very alley, all those years ago, where everything changed. That night still haunts him to this day, it gnaws when he becomes restless and rips at him in his darkest hours. He considered this moment to be one of his greatest failure's, his greatest shame, but not his last.

That night put him on his true path and lead him to becoming the symbol that he was truly meant to be. He comes here once a year on the anniversary of that night, not only to remember those that were taken from him, but to remember the promise he made that night. The promise; to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, to bring justice and vengence to those who deserve it. This promise turned into something more, for him and others it became crusade.

But, for the moment, his thought's weren't on saving the innocent or protecting his city from the lastest threat. No, he was here to pay his respects, to honor that which he lost that night so many years ago. In his hand, he clenched together two roses, one for each life taken, each life lost.

 **Bruce:** (He stared down at the ground in front of him for a moment, before kneeling down.)

"Hello. It's been a while since I've visited. Work's been keeping me busy, especially my evening activities."

(A small smirk flashed across his face, lasting only a split-second before he continued.)

"I'm still here; mom...dad. I'm still fighting the good fight. Just like I promised, but..."

(His tone grew more serious, no hint of sarcasm or joy in his voice.)

"I've made mistakes. A lot of mistakes. And it's cost me. I've lost friends, partners; lost the trust of those closest to me. Even still, despite everything, I continue the crusade. Alfred says that I'm stubborn, just like my father."

(He slowly placed the roses on the ground, their stems overlapping one another.)

"I know that this is not the life that you wanted for me, but it's the only one that I know now. The only thing that gives me purpose."

(He slowly rose to his feet, during which he recalled something that his father and mother once said to him.)

"When you feel yourself being dragged down by the tide, you push through and move forward. It was you two that taught me that. So that's what I'll do. Move forward, never back."

(He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly and opening his eyes.)

"Goodbye mom...dad. I love you. Always."

At that moment, he felt the wind shift, ever-so-slightly; going from cold, to luke warm within seconds, it was strange, but not uncommon for Gotham City. He shrugged it off, despite feeling as sense of familiarity, that is until he heard it; like a voice off in the distance, or a ghostly moan from the ether, he heard it.

 _"Mom, Dad come on..."_

The voice sounded faint, but it was definitely that of a child, one who sounded all too familiar to Bruce. He quickly looked to the right and when he laid eyes on the boy his world stopped. A sharp cold chill went down his spine, his skin went cold and his eyes widened. The child could be no more than 10 years old, dressed in a black overcoat, slacks and a white buttoned up shirt underneath, much like he himself was dressed at the moment. But this wasn't what had Bruce so freaked, it was instead the boy.

 **Bruce:** "No, it can't be..." (He muttered in a dishoveled tone.)

He stood there, frozen in place, a mixture of shock and confusion washing over him. This couldn't be possible, it shouldn't be he thought. Yet it was happening, he was here, watching the boy jumping around, pretending that he was fighting off imaginary villians.

 **Bruce:** "That's-that me?"

(He couldn't believe what he was seeing, despite all that he has seen through the years, he still couldn't believe that this was happening to him, right before his eyes.)

"No, this has to be a dream, it has to-"

(Things only grew more confusing and shocking when he saw two more familiar faces join the fray.)

"Mom, Dad?" (He muttered as his eyes widened and mouth gaped open; shock plastered across his face.)

 _ **Thomas Wayne:**_ _"Alright Bruce, time to head home." (He said with a smile.)_

 _ **Young Bruce:**_ _"I'm Zorro, hiyah; take that, and that."_

 _ **Martha Wayne:**_ _"Okay little hero, let's go. We don't want to keep Alfred waiting." (She said softly, between chuckles.)_

The three didn't seem to notice him, as they stood next to him, still chuckling and laughing without a care in the world. Then, Thomas looked down the alley, and signaled with a slight jerk of his head.

 _ **Thomas Wayne:**_ _"C'mon, we can cut through here." (He stated confidently with a smile.)_

 _ **Martha Wayne:**_ _"Come along Bruce."_

 **Bruce:** (His eyes widened as a haunted look washed over his face.)

"No, stop! Don't go down there; it's not safe!"

(He shouted, but his words fell on deaf ears as the family continued down the alley.)

"STOP, TURN BACK! (He persisted only to once again fail.)

Thomas and Martha huddled together, with young Bruce in the middle, still smiling and laughing; blissfully unaware of the tragedy that was about to befall them.

 **Bruce:** "No, I can't-I won't let this happen. Not again!" (Shortly after, he bursted into a sprint, rushing towards the family. He was still a few feet away, but he was quickly closing the gap and for a moment, however brief he had a glimmer of hope.)

 _I can save them. Just need to-_

(His thoughts quickly dissipated when he saw the family stop suddenly, just as a stranger shrouded in shadows steps out in front of them. Around the same time everything around him began to slow, as if time itself was trying to stop him. Although the strangers face was hidden in shadow, Bruce knew all too well who the stranger was, and what he was about to do.)

"No! I won't let you take them from me! Not again; never again!"

Less than a second later, the stranger brandishes a revolver, aiming it at said family. The father and mother stood there, frozen while the boy looked on in horror. As the stranger cocked back the hammer, the sound bounced off the walls of the alley and echoed in Bruce's mind. His mother stepped in front of young Bruce, trying to shield him while his father rushed towards the attacker.

 **Bruce:** "NOOOOO!" (He shouted as he reached out for them.)

They were mere inches away, just out of reach when he saw the hammer slowly slam down... _**BAMM - - - BAMM.**_

His eyes suddenly snap open, his heavy breathing the only sound he hears; his head felt muddled, foggy, until he realized that it was all a dream, a nightmare that he couldn't seem to shake. It felt real, but it was over now, for which he was grateful for. As he sat up, pain riadated throughout his entire body.

 **Bruce:** "Ugh..."

(He looked down to see his right arm wrapped in a bandage while his left was in a sling; his ribs were wrapped up as well. As he grabbed the blanket which covered his bottom half and lifted it; just enough to see that he was decent, before he quickly threw it off to the side and swung his legs over the side of the bed.)

Every subtle movement felt like broken glass, cutting and grinding into his muscles, his bones. He took a quick look around, but did not recognize anything; nothing was familiar, though he couldn't be 100% sure, since his mind was muddled. He rested his elbow on his leg and placed his sweat drenched forehead in his palm. After a few moments it all started coming back to him; Croc, Supergirl, the attack on L-Corp, all of it, including where he was.

Slowly he began rubbing the sides of his temple, trying to quell the migraine that was pounding away in his head. A few seconds later he stopped to look around, but saw that his suit was nowhere to be found. He did noticed a large gym bag over in the corner of the room, next to the door, but before he could even begin to investigate further, the door suddenly opened and a familiar face poked his head in.

 **Father Micheal:** "Ahh, you're awake."

(He said, happy to see the Dark Knight had finally awakened. The priest crossed the threshold holding a tray with two cups; closing the door behind him.)

"It's 'bout time. I was beginning to wonder."

(He stated as he grabbed a nearby chair, scooting it over, next to the injured Bruce.)

"Heh, you look like hell."

(A small smirk streaked across his face.)

 **Bruce:** (He couldn't help but chuckle a little at Father Micheal's comment, before giving a reply.)

"Thanks."

 **Father Micheal:** "Well you know me; I call it like I see it."

(As Bruce shifted a bit, his face radiated with pain. Father Micheal placed the tray down on the seat before placing his hands on Bruce's shoulders to keep him steady.)

"Easy there kid, easy. Last thing we need is for you to go collasping on me again, yeah?"

(Once things settled, he grabbed a cup out of the tray and held it out for Bruce.)

"Here, you look like you could use a little pick-me-up. Hell, you look like you could use five."

(Bruce slowly and cautiously took the cup, after, the father picked up the tray, taking the other coffee cup before placing said tray on the nightstand beside the bed. The father sat down in the chair, eyeing Bruce warily.)

"There's a new coffee shop that just opened up a few blocks down. They make one helluva cup-of-joe."

(The father watched as Bruce, bruised, battered and beaten, slowly sip.)

 **Bruce:** (He gave the priest a small smile before replying.)

"Not bad. Thank you."

(He said, slowly releasing a sigh.)

The two sat there for a moment, drinking in silence, Father Micheal waiting for Bruce to say something and vice versa. Instead, they sat there, in utter silence, The Father watching as Bruce stared intently at his drink. Despite his current, relaxed state, Father Micheal was more than a little shocked when he found out that none other than Bruce Wayne was under the cowl.

 **Father Micheal:** "You know, if someone had told me that Bruce Wayne and Batman were one in the same, I would've looked them dead in the eyes and said not a chance in hell."

(He stated, breaking through the silence. The priest chuckled a bit as he looked down at his cup, which was now ony half full. After taking another sip, he met Bruce's gaze. It was calculating, his eyes analyzing him as if trying to determine what was going to happen next.)

"Relax son. Seal of Confession ring a bell?"

(He said with amusement in his eyes.)

"As far as me and the big man upstairs are concerned, this whole thing is one giant confession. So, no need to worry your pointy-eared cowl about it."

(Father Micheal took a sip of his coffee, but before that, he noticed that Bruce had relaxed a bit, but only just.)

Despite Father Micheal's reassurance, Bruce couldn't seem to relax, not even for a moment. His mind, his every thought was fixed on that dream; it haunted him still, even awake it was relentless.

 **Father Micheal:** "Son?"

The Father's voice snapped him from his thoughts and once more their eyes met. Bruce could tell that Father Micheal was worried, perhaps even a little curious, still, he tried brush it off.

 **Bruce:** "Sorry Father, I was just..."

(Try as he might, he couldn't seem to find the words, in fact, he found himself flustered. He never gets flustered, ever. The dream had more of an effect on him than he originally thought.)

 **Father Micheal:** "You were somewhere else."

(Bruce shot him a questioning look, one which Father Micheal simply ignored for the most part.)

"I've seen that same distant stare before, and for someone like you; who's been through and experienced what you have, well...Your mind is bound to wander on occasion."

(The Father hit the nail on the head, but he wasn't finished yet. He knew about the tradegy that had befallen Bruce Wayne, when he was a little boy. And he also knew, or at the very least heard about his feats, and deeds, especially during the Culling.)

(Even with Bruce's stone-cold expression, Father Micheal could see that there was some sort of conflict going on within this man, this legend. And he was bound, determined to help, however he could.)

"But the question that I'm asking...is whether it's wondering here, in the present, or is it in the past, with those that were left behind...those that you lost?"

Bruce stared at the priest, his cold pierecing gaze fixed on Father Micheal's, knowing all too well what the Father was trying to do. Now wasnt' the time to open up, to pour his problems, his guilts and faults out to a friend, no. He had a job to do, he had to track down Jones before he caused anymore mayhem and destruction; for that he needed to focus. As he clenched the side of the bed, he slowly stood up, pain cutting and tearing through every movement no matter how subtle or slow he took it.

Father Micheal simply sat there, watching in silent protest as the man in front of him walked over to the dresser, where he had some clothes laid out for him. After finishing off the last sip of his coffee, Father Micheal turned his head slightly; just enough to see Bruce finished getting dressed.

 **Father Micheal:** "What are you going to do... about Jones I mean?"

(He asked curiously.)

 **Bruce:** (He turned around and leaned against the dresser using it as support. Bruce knew he wasn't a 100%, but he's been in worse shape than this, on multiple occasions.)

"I'll find him, take him down and bring him in."

(His coarse voice beamed with intensity, or at least that's what he tried to convey inspite of how he really felt.)

 **Father Micheal:** "That sounds easier said than done, given how well that worked out for you last time."

(He turned fully in his chair, staring into Bruce's stern yet uncertain gaze.)

"Even someone as capable and as stubborn as you, needs help."

(He posture changed, it was slightly more relaxed than before.)

"And...just so you know, National City does have a superhero of it's own. Maybe you've seen her. Red cape. Blonde. Can leap buildings in a single bound?."

(He stated jokingly.)

 **Bruce:** (Bruce couldn't help but sigh as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. He had thought of that, coming to her for help, but they come from two different world's, figuratively and literally.)

"She and I...have very different methods."

 **Father Micheal:** (He simply shrugged at this.)

"Well, I'm sure she's willing to put aside any misgivings; if it means stopping Jones."

 **Bruce:** "I'll think about it."

(He pushed off the dresser and approached Father Micheal, who was already in the process of standing up. Bruce held out a hand, which the Father took without hesitation and the two shook.)

"Thanks again, for everything Father Micheal."

 **Father Micheal:** "You want to thank me? Ask her for help, because let's face it, you could use a little right now."

(He gently patted Bruce on his right shoulder before making his way over to the door, only to stop and turn around as soon as he reached it. He pointed to the dufflebag by the door.)

"I put your "other" suit in here. It's kinda heavy but...you're a big guy, I'm sure you can handle it."

 **Bruce:** "Again...Thank you."

 **Father Micheal:** "Just, be careful out there."

(He opened the door and was halfway out when he stopped once more.)

"One last thing."

(Bruce looked at him intentively, for which the Father gave him a look.)

"Kick his ass this time will ya."

(Once again Bruce smiled a bit, then nodded. After that, Micheal closed the door and once it was shut he looked up.)

"Yeah, yeah I know, language."

 **9:00 a.m - CatCo**

 **Kara:** _Crap, crap, crap! I'm late, I'm late..._

(This was her one and single thought as she quickly made her way across the lobby towards the elevator, nearly bumping and almost knocking down a few fellow CatCo employees; once atthe doors, she began frantically tapping the call button.

Despite being flustered and near-panicked, Kara was careful enough to refrain from using her super strength on said button. After a few seconds of waiting impatiently, the anxiously nervous reporter glanced down at her watch, only to be reminded of her tardiness, at which point she groaned and whimpered under her breath.)

"I'm so late. Snapper's gonna fire me for sure. C'mon, c'mon you slow piece of-"

Before she could finish, the elevator doors opened and inside, waiting, was a group of people who slowly began pouring out of said elevator. Kara gave an anxious smile and mumbled hello a few times to her collegues and co-workers while she waited for an opening. Once the group cleared and dispersed, she quickly entered the elevator and began tapping the button for 34th floor.

A few seconds later the doors finally closed and the elevator began moving. Kara let out a small, restless sigh as she looked over at the panel, watching as each button lit up.

 **Kara:** (Her eyes drifted from the door to the panel, and back again.)

"Jeez. Can't this thing move any faster. C'mon." (She mumbled in an slightly annoyed tone as she grew more anxious by the second.)

Luckily, after what seemed like an eternity, the elevator doors finally opened on her floor, but instead of rushing out blindly, Kara stepped forward just enough to peak her head out, looking to her left and then her right for any sign of "the Chief". With the coast seemingly clear, the reporter cautiously stepped out of the elevator and casually made her way across the floor, past reception, and over to her desk; all while she scanned around, trying to keep an eye out for Snapper. Once she was safely at her desk, Kara gave one last look around just to be safe and once again found him nowhere to be seen.

 **Kara:** (As she let out an relieved sigh a small, grateful smile creeped across her lips.)

"Whew...dodge a bullet there. Must be my lucky day."

(She said gleefully, as she sat her handbag on her desk, not knowing that the Chief Editor for Catco Magazine himself, had made his way from the "Bullpen" and was now standing behind her.)

 **Snapper:** "Don't count on Danvers."

(Though he'd never admit it, he took joy in watching these young wannabe reporter's jump everytime he barked there name out of nowhere, and Kara Danvers was no exception.)

 **Kara:** "Crap..."

(She muttered under her breath, while internally berating herself for not only jinxing herself, but for not paying more attention to her surroundings.)

After taking a quick second to collect herself, she turned around, putting on her best fake, cheery smile and prayed to Rao and every other god that she could think of that he didn't notice how late she actually was and wasn't about to fire her for it.

 **Kara:** "Hey Chief, how's your-"

 **Snapper:** "Don't even. You're late ponytail...again."

(He stated humorlessly, cutting off Kara mid-sentence. The Chief editor looked away momentarily to look over some papers that he had in his hands, bylines from other reporters and such.)

"It's starting to become a pattern with you Danvers; an annoying one."

(He glanced up from the papers, shooting her an annoyed glared, before returning his gaze back to said papers.)

"Crap...crap...crap..."

(Each paper that he thought was crap, he quickly tossed the paper in Kara's trash bin, until he had only one left and even that one he disliked. He glanced around the floor and shouted.)

"Do any of you millienal's even know what Spell-Check is or how to use it!?"

(After that outburst he turned his sights back to Kara, which made her shudder just a bit.)

"So, what's your excuse this time Danvers?"

 **Kara:** "I umm I-I mean I was..."

 **Snapper:** "Anytime time today would be good Danvers." (He grumbled, growing more and more annoyed with each passing second that she didn't answer.)

 **Kara:** "Uhh yes sir it's just..."

(She laughed nervously hoping to break the tension building between them; needless to say it didn't work. Instead Snapper just stood there, silent, scowling at her. After a deep gulp, she adjusted her glasses before finally answering his question.)

"Right umm...The reason I was late was because I was out late last night, like really late you know; having a few drinks with som-"

 **Snapper:** (Once again, The Chief cut her off, not wanting or caring about her her late night.)

"Danvers!"

(He barked in an annoyed tone, after which he removed his glasses to better glare at the oblivious reporter.)

"Do I seem like the person who cares about your social life?"

(Of course it was a rethorical question, though he suspected that she didn't think so.)

 **Kara:** "Uhhhh..."

 **Snapper:** "No Danvers...the answer is no."

(After his intial response, he let out a heavy sigh before bringing the subject back on topic.)

"I'm asking what your excuse is for why you haven't turned in you're article."

 **Kara:** (Upon hearing this, she felt somewhat relieved, albeit for a few meager seconds until she realized that she didn't have her article finished, or even started for that matter.)

"Oh yay, right, the article..."

 **Snapper:** (He rolled his eyes as he lets out a disgruntled sigh.)

"Yes Danvers, the article, remember? The attack on the shipping yard, injured security guards? Any of this ringing any bells?"

(Despite his sarcastic tone, hidden underneath he truly wondered why she had yet to turn in an article yet, especially since the deadline for said article was today.)

 **Kara:** (The reporter glanced away for a quick second, wondering what in the world she was going to say, besides the truth that is.)

"Right yes, the article uhh...well see Chief I-I just need a few more days; to wrap up a few loose ends and of course you, Spell-Check and I promise that it will be on your desk by Thursday sir."

 **Snapper:** "It is Thursday ponytail."

(He stated stalely.)

 **Kara:** (Confusion quickly settled across her face, and in her tone.)

"Really?"

(She glanced away for moment before mumbling.)

"Wow, I guess time really flies by when yo-"

 **Snapper:** (This time, instead of cutting her off outright, he held up his hand, stopping her mid-sentence.)

"Let me stop you right there blondie. Despite my cheery, glee-like exterior, I'm not running a charity here. I don't give exstentions and I don't make exceptions...for anyone, and that includes you Danvers."

(With that finished, he was about to head back to his office, only for Kara Danvers to quickly move around him and block his way.)

 **Kara:** "I understand that Chief, really I do it's just..."

(Kara knew that she had to choose her words carefully, because what she says next could make the difference between keeping her job or losing it.)

Though only seconds passed, to Kara those seconds felt like a lifetime as she tried to figure out her next move. The problem, is that she couldn't come right out and tell Snapper the truth about what she knew. There would be too many questions that she couldn't answer, questions that would not only put her own identity at risk, but would also expose her friends, her sister and the existence of the D.E.O.

So, there was only one course of action that she could take and even that was risky play, but it was her only shot.

 **Kara:** "Look Chief, there is a lot more to this story than either of us think I know it-I can feel it in my gut."

 **Snapper:** (After letting out a quick sigh, he took off his glasses and looked her square in the eyes.)

"I can't hold a story based solely on your gut Danvers."

(He placed his glasses back on his face before stating plainly.)

"Give me something to work with ponytail."

 **Kara:** (The hesitate reporter took a moment, a quick one to consider her options. In the end she decided to give him a bit of what she knew.)

"You've heard about the attack on L-Corp last night, right?"

 **Snapper:** (Once again, he shoots a irritable glare at the young reporter.)

"It's kinda hard to miss. Every newstation from here to Metropolis has been running it since 5 a.m."

 **Kara:** (Kara chose to ignore Snapper's ever-growing sarcasm and continue with what she was trying to say.)

"Well, according to one of my sources, there is a strong connection between the attack on L-Corp and what went down at the shipping yard. And it turns out that one of the containers was made by CAD Industries, in Gotham City."

 **Snapper:** "And I care about any of this why?"

 **Kara:** (She was quick to reply, knowing that the longer she went on, the more annoyed Snapper would get.)

"According to records, CAD Industries was only open for about a week before they closed down, just long enough for them to make and ship the container. And you wanna hear the most interesting part?"

 **Snapper:** (The Chief editor simply glared at the reporter, not wanting to be held in suspense.)

"You expecting a drumroll or something? Get on with it Danvers, my coffee and bagel are getting stale."

 **Kara:** (Once again, she ignored his sarcastic comment and continued on.)

"A friend of mine who works over at NCPD Special Crimes had an old friend from Gotham look into it. They found documents showing that the building, staff, the equipment, everything was purchased ot bought by ."

 **Snapper:** "Who the hell is ?"

 **Kara:** (A confident look splashed across her face asshe answered.)

"She doesn't exist, not really, but this friend-of-a-friend, tracked wire transfers through 7 shell corporations until he found the person behind it one and only Lillian Luthor."

(A small, brief look of satisfaction streaked across her face.)

 **Snapper:** (He took a moment to think on everything that Danvers laid out before him. If she was right, this could potentially be a great article, but there was one, small detail that was nagging at him.)

"This friend of a friend...works with GCPD I assume?"

 **Kara:** (Her eyes widened a bit as she answered hesitantly.)

"He's uhh...more of a freelance detective sir."

 **Snapper:** (He shoots a questioning look at the reporter, before moving on; wanting more detail before giving his final answer.)

"So this "freelancer", has proof to substatiate these all of these claims, because we don't print gossip here Danvers."

 **Kara:** (Of course he does, at least that's what Kara thought for the most part.)

"Yessir I believe he does I-I just need some time to get a hold of him and the information sir. Two days tops, and I swear that you'll have the article and proof on your desk Chief."

 **Snapper:** (He took only a few seconds to think about it, knowing that if this young reporter were able to get the proof that this article would blow the lid off of yet another illegal CADMUS operation. Still, he didn't want anyone seeing him being soft, especially Kara Danvers who would never let him hear the end of it.)

"You have until tommorrow, that's it. If I don't have the article on my desk before the morning edition, I'd start updating my resume, cause I hear that Big Belly Burger is hiring. Am I clear Danvers?"

 **Kara:** "Crystal sir." (She stated, knowing that this was the best that she was going to get from the Chief.

And just like that the conversation was done and Snapper left for his office, leaving Kara to her own devices. The reporter slowly let out a breath before leaning against her desk, thanking Rao that she still has a job, for another day at least. After dropping her head and letting out a slow sigh, the Girl of Steel lifted her head back up just in time to see Ms. Tessmacher walking towards her, carrying a clipboard and a un-opened package.

So, instead of dwelling on all the problems that she was currently piling up around her, she decided to push it all aside and flashed a brief smile at the secretary.

 **Ms. Tessmacher:** "Geez...Isn't he Mr. Warm-and-Fuzzy. " (She said, glancing over at the "Bullpen" where Snapper was currently in the process of terrifying yet another CatCo reporter, most likely berating for having written such a crap of an article.)

"You okay Kar?"

 **Kara:** "Oh yeah, I'm fine that was just-that was nothing, just Snapper being Snapper."

(She stated w/ a fake, I'm-alright-but-not-really, smile; a poor attempt at hiding how concerned that she actually was, at Croc and the possibility that tody could be her last day as a reporter at CatCo.)

 **Ms. Tessmacher:** (Though she only knew Kara for a short time, she considered the intriped reporter a friend and as such she could see past Kara fake reassuring smile. She hated seeing Kara in this state, like the weight of the world was on her shoulder's andit was slowly crushing her.

Without a second thought, she placed her free hand on Kara's shoulder, gently squeezing her shoulder and gave her a reassuring look.)

"Don't worry Kara, everything will work itself out; it always does."

(She stated confidently with a sympathetic smile.)

 **Kara:** (The CatCo reporter appreciated Tess's comment, and her constant friendship; it made her feel a bit better with her current circumstance. She gave a small smile to her friend.)

"I hope so Tess, I really do. Thanks for that."

 **Ms. Tessmacher:** (Her smile grew bigger.)

"Anytime Kar, anytime."

(She stated gleefully. A moment later she remember the reason why she came over in the first place.)

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot."

(The young lady held out the yellow package.)

"Someone left a package for you."

 **Kara:** (Not thinking much of it, she gratiously took the package, her eyes scanning the front of the package, then the back during which her brow knitted together as confusion settled across her face.)

"There's no return address, no postage stamp. Hmmm..."

While a bewildered Kara started to open the package, Ms. Tessmacher watched curiously as the reporter opened one end of the package. Normally, she would use her X-ray vision to see what was inside, but with Tess so close she chose not to risk it. With one end opened, she reached inside and pulled out a flip phone, but it was strange, more advanced in a way.

 **Kara:** (Her bewildered look was quickly replaced with confusion as she looked over the mysterious phone.)

"What the...?"

(She mumbled to herself. Less than a second later she looked inside the package to see if there was anything else only to find nothing. Confused and curious, she turned back to Tess.)

"You didn't happen to see who dropped this off did you?"

 **Ms. Tessmacher:** "Yeah, he was an old guy, maybe 50-ish. Oh and he had one of those collar things, like a priest."

 **Kara:** (Now she more confused than ever, mainly due to the fact she didn't know any priests. This was becoming a bit unsettling.)

"A priest?"

 **Ms. Tessmacher:** "I think so, he left a card with the package. Here."

(She held out a folded card, one which Kara quickly took.)

With the phone still in hand, she cautiously opened the note and found only a few words written inside:

 _ **"We need to talk. - B"**_

 **Kara:** (She quickly realized what the inital B stood for, which casued her eyes to widen as panic streaked across her face.)

 _He - - - he knows that I'm - - - that I - - - who - - - how!?_

(Fear, panic, all this flooded through her, making it near impossible for her to think, to speak to even move. As her breathing started to tremble and her heart pulsing so fast that she thought that her heart would explode out of her chest.)

(She tried her best to calm herself, to regain some form of composure, if only to hide how panicked she actually was in front of Tess.)

 **Ms. Tessmacher:** "Kara, are you okay?" (She asked with a concerned tone.)

 **Kara:** (She took a deep gulp before she diverted her eyes up from the note, to Tess, once again she flashed a fake reassuring-smile, as she tried to ease Tess.)

"Yeah-yeah Tess, I'm fine, I'm just-umm..."

(Her eyes darted back to the note, then the phone, and back to Tess to meet her concerning gaze.)

"This priest, he didn't happen to give is name, did he?"

 **Ms. Tessmacher:** (She thought for a moment, then remembered the kind priest's name.)

"I think he said his name was Father Micheal. Is everything okay Kar?"

(She asked with overwhelming concern.)

 **Kara:** (She gave a nod before stating in a gracious tone.)

"Yeah, it's fine Tess, really. Thank you for this."

(Tess gives a smile and a nod before heading back to her desk and the tasks that await her, leaving Kara by herself with her thoughts. Only one word came to mind and for Kara Danvers, it was the only thing she could think to say about her current predicament.)

"Crap..."

 **\- - - -** **Alien Bar - An hour & half an hour later** **\- - - -**

Last night was brutal, not just for Kara, J'onn, James and the rest, but for M'gann as well, though to a slightly lesser degree; of course, being the only bartender working last night. Despite the bar being packed to the brim, she managed to keep things working smoothly and now it was a new day. M'gann walked out of the back room, a phone pressed against her ear talking with someone on the other end.

 **M'Gann:** "Yeah, we'll be out in 5 minutes. Thanks again Paul. 'Kay, bye." (With that, she ended the call and put the phone back on the charger stand; after that she turned back towards the room itself and let out a small sigh when she saw the state of the room.)

"Great, just perfect."

(She mumbled to herself.)

Of course she wasn't really surprised at the state of the place, especially since it was so crowded, packed by both human and aliens alike. While she was serving drinks, M'gann got the feeling that everyone there was a bit frantic, afraid even. The Martian couldn't figure out why, not at first, but when she saw on the news that some monstrous creature had attacked L-Corp earlier last night; she quickly put two-and-two together.

With that in mind, she took care of everyone, keeping the bar open past regular hours and making sure those that left, made it home safe. Despite it being more than what one person could handle, she managed just fine and with a certain grace. And now, it was a new day, but there was still much left to be done. First things first, before she started cleaning up, she need to take care of the trench-coat wearing Bolovaxian, currently passed out, snoring and drooling on the one of the tables.

After taking a deep breathe, she walked over to the table and stood over the still snoring Bolovaxian; listening and watching as the nearly empty mug beside him shook everytime he snored.

 **M'Gann:** (She leaned in close and gently placed her hand on the big aliens' back.)

"Hey big guy, time to wake up."

(The only response she got from him was a quick snort followed by some incoherant mumbling. Waiting a few seconds more and getting no response she took a different approach.)

With a quick movement, she smacked him upside the head, which caused the Bolovaxian to suddenly jerk awake. At first, he appeared confused, and tired obviously, as he slowly looked around the room. Eventually his blurred sight found its way to M'gann, who was standing there, one hand on her hip and the other on the back of the chair.

 **Bolovaxian:** (He slowly rubbed his eyes both his eyes, hoping to clear-up his vision.)

"Oh hey M'gann...Closing time already?"

(He grunted as wiped the drool from his mouth and wiped it on his coat.)

 **M'Gann:** (She gave a small smile as she answered.)

"Yep. Gotta close up."

(The fellow alien simply nodded, after that, he slowly staggered to his feet, during which he almost stumbled, but caught himself.)

"You good?"

 **Bolovaxian:** (He grinned as he picked up the mug.)

"Always."

(He stated confidently before taking one last swig from his mug, finishing off the contents within and placing it back down on the table. Once finished, he turned back to M'Gann.))

"Add it to my tab will'ya?"

(He asked politely, before letting out a loud, rumbling belch; one loud enough that it made the bottle's behind the bar rattle a bit.)

 **M'Gann:** (While the Bolovaxian seemed proud of said belch, M'gann had placed the back of her hand against her nose and mouth, trying her best not to gag at the stench.)

"Jeez.."

 **Bolovaxian:** "Hehehe, sorry 'bout that. Must'ta been something I ate."

 **M'Gann:** (After a few seconds she removed her hand and gave a small forgiving smile.)

"Must have been."

(She said jokingly, before subtly jerking her head towards the door.)

"C'mon, I called you a ride."

Together, the two slowly made their way across the room, with M'gann ushering the clearly buzzed Bolovaxian over towards the door. Once there, M'gann opened the door, the Bolovaxian quickly raised his arm up, shielding his eyes from the daylight splashing against him.

 **Bolovaxian:** "WHAT THE FRACK!?...why the hell is it so damn bright out here!?"

(He grunted and groaned as the two stepped outside.)

 **M'Gann:** (The look on the martian's face was almost priceless, staring at him quizzically.)

"It's...overcast, big guy."

 **Bolovaxian:** "Yeah well...agree to disagree." (Shortly after his grumble, a grey-ish van pulled up; parking down at the end of the alley.)

 **M'Gann:** "There's your ride big guy."

(Somehow, despite working nearly 18 hours straight and running on what little fumes she has, she managed to maintain a gentle, sincere tone.)

 **Bolovaxian:** (He looked up at the van, staring at it briefly before scoffing.)

"These humans do love their teeny tiny metal machines don't they?"

(He says, looking over at M'Gann, flashing a sarcastic smile as the walked down the alley towards the van. While they walked, he took the time to show his gratitude.)

"Thanks M'gann. You're good people, did'ja know that?"

 **M'Gann:** (A small smile creased her lips.)

"Aww shucks: you're going to make me blush big guy."

(She said in a soft, joking tone.)

 **Bolovaxian:** (He chuckled a bit, but reassured her.)

"I'm being serious M'Gann. You. Are. Good people."

(It was subtle, but M'gann could hear a change in his tone, and in his posture as his once confident smile seemingly vanished and shortly after he stopped.)

Suddenly, M'gann noticed that he had stopped just a few steps behind her; in turn she stopped and walked over to him, which is when she noticed the look on his face. It was a look, somewhere between guilt and pure sadness. She had never seen this look on the Bolovaxian before, and it was a look that concerned her greatly. The look in his eyes showed more than just sadness, they showed tragedy, loss.

He was suddenly flooded with images, of those that he lost; his friends, his cadets. He remembered every face, every name, every horrific, twisted expression left on their dying faces. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and this snapped him from his thoughts back to reality.

 **Bolovaxian:** (As he looked upon M'Gann, he could see the concern in her eyes. He gently clasped her shoulders and spoke in a somber tone.)

"Don't ever let that change. I-we could've used more people like you in the Corp."

(Not soon after, he stiffened up, and once again that proud facade once again showed itself.)

 **M'Gann:** (She gave him a sympathetic look and smile.)

"I know big guy. Thanks."

(She stated softly as she placed her hands on his wrists; giving them a gentle tap. As he withdrew his hands from her shoulder's, he once again appeared to be trailing off.)

"You going to be okay?"

 **Bolovaxian:** (He looked at her stoically, then flashed her a confident smile.)

"Don't worry 'bout this old Poozer. I still got fight in me."

(And with that, the two began walking towards the van once more, but after just a few steps, a low, continuous beeping sound came from his inner coat pocket.)

"Aww fer crying out loud."

(He grumbled, as he reached inside his pocket and retrieved a glowing, pulsating ring. With the ring in his hand, he placed it on his right, middle finger. Less than a second later, a voice came from the ring with an important message.)

 _ **?:**_ _"Chief, you are needed in sector 480-"_

 **Bolovaxian:** "Salaak I'm on vacation. VA. CA. TION. Pass it on to someone else."

(He grumbled.)

 _ **Salaak:**_ _"You know we are short-staffed and plus you are the closest one in the vicinity. Sarissa needs help with a planet-wide evacuation and the Guardians want you to respond."_

 **Bolovaxian:** (After a few seconds and one exasperated sigh, he grunted his response.)

"Tell her, I'm on my way."

 _ **Salaak:**_ _"The Guardians appre-"_

 **Bolovaxian:** (Before Salaak could give thanks, the Bolovaxian disconnected the line, not wanting to hear anymore.)

"Lousy bunch'a blue-skinned gnomes."

(He mumbled under his breath; annoyed that his vacation had to be cut short. Then, he remember the company that he was in I.E. M'Gann.)

"Well, guess duty calls."

 **M'Gann:** (A small smile creeped across her face as she looked up at him.)

"You take care Big Guy. And try not to get into any trouble, okay?"

 **Bolovaxian:** (Once more, he shot her a grin as he playfully retorted.)

"See, I knew you were soft on me."

 **M'Gann:** "Get out of here.

(She said playfully between chuckles.)

The two share a quick hug before the larger of the two became engulfed in a blindingly bright, green light; enough that it caused M'Gann to have to look away and shield her eyes. A moment later when she looked back, the Bolovaxian was gone, but when she looked up, she saw a fading trail of emerald light streaking through the sky, into the clouds and out of sight.

 **M'Gann:** (The smile stayed for a moment, long enough for her to make a comment.)

"Lanterns...every damn time."

(She mumbled jokingly.)

After that, she was left alone, well not entirely; she still had work to do, which she dreaded, given how exhausted she was. Once she dealt with the driver, thanking and paying him, she made her way back inside the bar. As soon as she was inside, she immediately went to work on cleaning up the place, starting with the tables. She walked over to the bar, grabbed a tray and dish rag and headed over to one of the dish-cluttered tables.

It was a menial, tedious task, but one that she was used to and she was making quick work of it that is until around the 5th table. It was here, while she was placing the dirty mugs and dishes in the tray, that she noticed something on the bar counter that she hadn't noticed before. Her brow furrowed as she stared curiously at the mysterious green dufflebag currently sitting on the counter.

 **M'Gann:** (Curious and perhaps a bit confused, she placed the tray full of dishes and the bar rag on the table, before moving over towards the counter and the bag.)

"I don't remember seeing you here before...where did you come from?"

(She mumbled to herself.)

As she continued to stare at the mysterious dufflebag, her mind began to fill with questions. As her curiousity started to pique, she took a quick glance around to see if there was anyone else here, someone that she might've missed. Seeing no one in sight she turned back to the bag and slowly, cautiously reached for the zippers. With her grip tight she started to open it slowly, not wanting to disturb the contents inside, just in case it was something violatile.

Out of nowhere, she stopped when a single thought shot to the forefront of her mind: what if this is a trap? That thought stayed and caused her freeze in place, whether out of fear or what have you. She remembered the tragic incident that happened a few months back, an incident perpatrated by Cadmus, that claimed the lives of dozens of fellow aliens and nearly claimed Mon-El's own life.

Could this be another attempt by Cadmus? M'Gann didn't, couldn't know for certain, not really, but she had to ask herself, could she really take that chance. Now, consumed with a new resolve, she clenched her jaw and once again began to unzip the bag. She knew that it'd probably be best to call J'onn or Alex, but what if there was a timer, he just couldn't wait.

"M'Gann?"

 **M'Gann:** (Startled by the sudden voice that came from nowhere, the martian quickly turned around, her fists clenched tightly, expecting to fight.)

"What the hell Bruce!?"

(She stated in a aggravated tone. Despite her tone, she was relieved to see a familiar face. After a quick second to collect herself, she took a long, deep breath before looking back at the familiar man.)

"Jeez...you scared the crap out of me."

(Her tone was alot less hostile.)

 **Bruce:** "Sorry Megan; old habit of mine."

(He coyly replied as a small grin creeped across his face as he quickly walked into the room; keeping his back to M'Gann.)

Though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even Alfred, part of him enjoyed sneaking up on people, startling them; it was one of the few highlights that he, as Bruce Wayne, could enjoy without suspicion. As M'gann started to settle down and get her heart rate back to a reasonable beat, Bruce, with his own dish tray in hand, he walked over to the table that M'Gann had started cleaning and began finishing it up. He kept his back to her as he worked, trying his best to keep M'Gann from seeing his bruise covered-face, to keep her from asking questions that he didn't want to answer.

Switching out his empty tray for her full one, he slowly made his way over to the counter, keeping his head down and pointed away from M'Gann.

 **M'Gann:** (Her focus completely shifted from the bag to Bruce, who seemed awfully suspicious.)

"Bruce, what the hell are you doing here?"

 **Bruce:** "Uhh well...last time I checked, this was my job."

(He said snarkily, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.)

 **M'Gann:** (She shook her head and shot him an annoyed looked.)

"FUN-ny, but not what I meant."

(As he walked back over to the table, she quickly followed.)

"I tried calling you last night, I left at least 8 messag-"

(Her words trailed off, then finally stopped when she saw his face. Her eyes widen, her mouth gaped as she stared at his bruise-covered face.)

"My God Bruce, what happened?

Before she even realized what she was doing, she had already gently clasped his face; slowly turning his head to the left, then the right to get a better look his wounds. She was, needless to say, shocked, but that didn't hinder her, not one bit as she all but forced him over back over to the counter. There, she quickly walked around the bar, grabbed a fresh, clean rag and placed some ice in the middle.

 **M'Gann:** (With the ice-filled rag in hand, she made her way back around the bar and gently placed the rag over the his swollen left eye.)

"Here...easy now."

Bruce only winced a little when the rag touched his eye, the pain itself wasn't much of a bother, he expected it most days; for most, like him, it comes with the job. Still, his current state was complicating things, more specifically his cover. He knew M'Gann would have questions and sure enough, he was right.

 **M'Gann:** "So...what happened?

(She asked soft, yet in a neutral tone.)

 **Bruce:** "Oh this...Ehh, just an argument that got out of hand."

(He said nonchatlantly, flashing a small smile, using it to hide the pain he was feeling.)

Over the years he had become accustomed to pain, in fact he half-expected it everytime he put on the suit. To him, pain was much more than a nuisance, it was a reminder, that with every mistake comes knowledge whether it be good or bad.

 **M'Gann:** "Must have been one hell of an argument."

 **Bruce:** "You have no idea."

(He states as he takes in a deep breath.)

 **M'Gann:** (After a few moments, she lets out a heavy sigh.)

"Yeah well, I hope it was worth it, because you look like you got the hell beat out of you."

 **Bruce:** "Yeah well, you should see the other guy."

(He replied, removing the ice pack from his eye and placing it on the counter, at which point M'Gann once again took a gander at his wounds.)

 **M'Gann:** "You should be at the hospital, getting checked out. At the very least you should get those stitches looked at."

(She stated in a very concerned, motherly tone.)

 **Bruce:** "You forget, I'm from Gotham; this isn't my first dust-up. It's just a few cuts and bruises; not a big deal, really I'm fine."

(He stated in a confident, almost cocky-tone.)

Shortly after, Bruce reached behind the counter and grabbed two beers; after opening both he passed one to M'Gann and kept the other for himself. They gently clink the bottles before each took a swig, after they sat and talked for a bit. Bruce was coy about his injuries, constantly reassuring M'Gann that he was fine. During their chat, Bruce noticed how his fellow bartender kept nodding off every now and then. He recommended that she go home and get some rest, but she refused, stating that the bar still needed to be cleaned up.

Of course he had a remedy for that, he offered to stay and clean up while she caught some shut eye at home. This obviously didn't sit too well with her, seeing as he was recovering from his injuries, she couldn't very well leave him here to do all the work, despite his assurances to the contrary. Still, he was relentless, insisting that she was of no help to anyone when she was this tired. Eventually, after going back and forth and back again, he convinced her to go, against her better judgement, but first she had to know what was in the mysterious duffle bag.

Bruce smiled and replied that it was his and all that was in it was a few gym clothes that he hadn't washed in a few weeks. She was hesitant to believe him, so he opened it himself revealing not only a bunch of gym clothes shoved inside, but a horrendous stench along with it. With that mystery now solved, M'Gann finished off her beer and a quick goodbye, she left, heading home for some shut-eye. Bruce got up and walked around the bar, grabbing and half-filled trash bag and started tossing the dirty clothes inside.

After about a minute, all that was left inside the dufflebag was a folded up suit, gloves, cape and boots; resting to one side of the bag, was his cowl. He stared at the contents within for the longest time, before removing a batarang from said bag. After he shoved the bag under the counter and away from prying eyes, he grabbed a towel and walked to the employee bathroom. Once inside, he locked the door and over to the sink, where he folded up the towel and placed off to one side.

Less than a second later, he looked at his reflection in the mirror; despite his left eye being swollen, hindering his vision slightly, he took note of all his injuries. As he placed batarang on the towel, he slowly unbuttoned his shirt; grunting and groaning as he slowly removed it, placing it off to the side. After a quick once over, taking note of his injuries, he returned his gaze back to his reflection.

He stood there, staring into his own eyes for a moment, before his gaze drifted to his swollen eye. With his gaze fixed, he slowly raised the batarang up to his left eye. Using the razor-like edge, he cautiously began to cut under his eye and above it. Mere mili-seconds later, he tilted his head downward, letting the blood pour into the sink for several seconds. After almost a minute, the blood began to slow, only a few crimson drops hitting the porchelain sink. A moment later he lifted his once more and gazed upon his reflection once again; blood still dripping from his wounds, but his left eye was no longer swollen and with it he could see clearly.

That before this fight was done, that there would be much more blood spilled; either his, or someone else's.


End file.
